Perceptions
by Stone Jackal
Summary: Jennifer Keller hasn’t been acting at all like herself lately. And when her friends start asking questions; they come up with an answer that will have them all questioning their own perceptions of her; and of themselves.
1. Have You Noticed?

**Title: **Perceptions

**Chapter Title: **Have You Noticed?

**Summary: **"Have you noticed anything, I don't know, _off_ about Jennifer lately?"

**Disclaimer: **Stargate Atlantis, and its characters, etc, belong to MGM and affiliates. I'm just having a little fun.

**Author's Notes: **Okay, here goes; my very first Stargate Atlantis fic. I hope all goes well. This was inspired by the posters at the GateWorld's The Doctor and the Wildman thread. I was reading what they had posted about the recent rash of McIcky-ness on SGA, and this just popped into my head. This is set right after BS. This is unbeta-ed, so all mistakes are my own.

-----

"Hey Lieutenant," Major Evan Lorne jogged, water bottle in hand, to catch up to Laura Cadman as the teams disbursed from the gym one afternoon after sparring practice.

Greeting him with a nod, Laura reached back to remove the elastic from her ponytail, releasing her red hair from its confines and shaking her head, causing the strands to spill over her shoulders, "Hi Major. What's up?"

Evan was momentarily stunned speechless as she did that, and then her voice once again pulled him back, "Sir?"

He blinked rapidly, his mouth releasing a _pfftt_ sound, "Sorry, kind of zoned out there for a second," Evan quickly tried to cover his blunder, brushing it aside with an inconsequential explanation. Laura gathered her hair again, and within seconds had it fastened back in a tidy ponytail, "Um, have you noticed anything weird going on with Jennifer lately?"

Laura snickered, "You mean be_sides _the whole dating McKay thing?"

He had to laugh at that, "Well, yeah, there's that."

"I'm guessing that's not what you were aiming for," She noted, taking a step closer to him to allow someone to pass by them in the corridor, and trying to cover the hitch in her breath by taking a hearty swig from her water bottle.

"Not really, no," He chuckled, "But now that you mention it, it kind of ties in," His expression got all the more serious, and Laura couldn't help but feel his concern, "She's started calling me Major again."

"Well, stop the presses," Laura feigned shock, "Considering it's your name, and all."

"It's my rank," Evan jokingly chastised, "And you know Jennifer's been calling me Evan for a long time now."

"I know sir," Laura agreed, seeing his worry behind the joking expression, and oddly, she was relieved. She too, had had some concerns about their friend in the past weeks. Something about Jennifer had just been _off_, and she was glad not to be the only one that had noticed, "And she's missed the last—what—four movie nights?"

Evan nodded, "She keeps saying she's busy."

"Which is true," Laura had to concede.

"Sure. But she's been," He paused, searching from the right word.

"Moody? Evasive? Not like herself?" Laura suggested helpfully.

"Weird," Evan threw in his own with a punctuating nod, "You get the feeling she's avoiding us?"

"For her to actually be avoiding us sir," She sighed, "She'd have to have the time. And for _that_, we'd have to crow bar her away from McKay."

"Ye-ah," The inflection in his tone as he agreed, showed exactly what he thought of _that_, "That came out of left field."

"Kind of. I mean, one minute she's telling me that she—no—that," Laura stopped herself before spilling Jennifer's _I-almost-kissed-Ronon-and-now-I–can't-stop-thinking-about-him _secret. That had been told to her in confidence, and even though Laura was _sure_ the story didn't end there; it didn't give her leave to rattle it off to him, "I don't know. Maybe we're making more of this than there is?"

"Jen's been missing movie nights, a tradition _she_ started," Evan began a list as the two of them stopped at Laura's door. Movie nights had always been their tradition, between the three of them, and for a while (when she'd been CO of Atlantis), occasionally Colonel Carter. Though they'd been invited to, and had occasionally attended, Sheppard's little 'team-nights', they had all felt out of place in trying to mingle within the dynamics of SGA:1, and had created their own group as a result, "She's been calling me by my rank, she's been avoiding both of us, and now she's joined at the hip with _McKay_. And I'm sorry Cadman, maybe I'm not supposed to know this, being a guy and all, but there was _something _going on with Jen and Ronon, and now," The Major shrugged a shoulder, unsure of what to say, and instead threw in an example, "I sat between them at a briefing a week ago. _Awkward_. Something's going on."

"You've been keeping a close eye," Laura commented dryly, leaning a shoulder against the wall by her door, and then added, "Sir," At his harsh look.

"Jennifer's my friend," Evan informed her matter-of-factly, "I don't know—she was the first real friend I made, coming to Atlantis. I'm—I'm a little worried about her," He admitted in a low tone.

He must be, Laura realized, to be bringing his concern to her. For Evan to even mention it, he must be fairly worried. And that added to her own. If Evan had noticed, perhaps they weren't the only ones to see the strange behavior of their doctor friend? "Maybe we should talk to Ronon, see if he's noticed anything strange," She suggested, shrugging.

Evan gnawed on the inside of his cheek before answering, "They're not talking. Not that Ronon has ever done much talking, but still."

"He talks to Jennifer," Laura contradicted immediately, "And she _was_ talking to him. If something's fishy, maybe he's noticed. Besides, it's _Ronon_. Who better to ask; the guy notices almost everything."

"They are coming back from Sheppard's camping trip today," Evan mentioned, scrubbing a hand over the stubble that had begun growing over his jaw, making him look all the more attractive and contemplative at the same time, "Alright, we'll subtly bring it up, to Ronon, and see if he's noticed anything," He paused, smirked, "Fishy, and if he hasn't…"

"We chalk it up to you being all overprotective big-brotherly?" She teased with a smile, though she did agree with him. Their friend's odd behavior was making her uneasy too.

"Something like that," He obliged, "Okay, so we're agreed."

"Yup."

"Alright-y then," He clapped his palms together, and then waved one in the direction he was soon to head; "You want to get lunch?"

"Sure," She replied instantly, a bright smile on her face. Realizing she was beaming at him, she tamped her expression down and gestured to her door, "Meet you in the mess in half an hour?"

"Sure," He repeated, his eyes twinkling in a look that had her wanting to sigh and stare. They stood silently for long minutes, in front of her door. Finally breaking the moment, Evan said in a teasing voice, "Go get a shower Cadman. You smell like Zelenka."

And then, with a cheeky grin, Evan reluctantly headed off for his own room and his own shower.

-----

Upon returning from accompanying Sheppard, among others, on a camping trip on the mainland, Ronon had dumped his things in his room, and headed directly for the mess hall. It had been a long few days.

He'd been trapped in a tent with Sheppard, who'd asked question, after question, after question; pestering for details until Ronon had threatened to stun his friend. He knew John was only trying to help; trying to get to the bottom of his recent surly disposition, but really, Ronon didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to explain that he was in lov—that he'd had intentions (and still did, if he was telling the truth) regarding Atlantis' CMO. And that while _he_ had thought they were moving forward together, _she _had been interested in someone else. He didn't want to explain to his friend that all the time he'd spent with her had been for naught, because not only was she _interested in someone else_, but she had no intention of even being his friend, it seemed. And that while _he_ had enjoyed their relationship, enjoyed spending time with her, enjoyed being with her, enjoyed her; she hadn't been; she had been looking elsewhere.

No; Ronon had no interest in _that_ conversation, and so he remained silent; until he'd finally removed his gun from its holster at his hip, spun it in his fingers with characteristic flair and calmly asked John if he wanted to spend the rest of the trip asleep. Wisely, his friend had chosen to hold his tongue after that, and the questions had ceased.

After that, Ronon still caught John looking at him strangely, like there was something the other man wanted to say, but didn't for fear of being stunned into silence. This was part of the reason Ronon had chosen to eat now, grab something before John would appear in the mess hall, join him, and being again with the prying, pestering questions. Groaning to himself, Ronon plopped another pudding cup on his tray and wound his way from the food line to an empty table in an out-of-the-way corner, where no one would be crazy enough to bother him.

The trip hadn't been all bad though. He'd learned another Earth spot; this one John called surfing. He'd done well at times, occasionally doing what John called a _wipe-out_ and coming up with a mouthful of salty water. And, of course, he'd had to tease John mercilessly at the skintight, black rubber suit the other man had worn. And, according to John, one of the technicians that had accompanied them on this 'camping trip', Amelia, had the _hots_ for him. What that had meant, he hadn't been sure at first, the meanings of many Earth expressions still beyond him. After rolling his eyes, the colonel had explained that it meant she found him attractive. Not understanding why Sheppard hadn't just said that in the first place; Ronon had rolled his own eyes, shaken his head and shrugged the joking comments off.

But after John's comments, whether made in jest or not, Ronon would feel someone watching him; someone looking at him, and he'd glance up to see the brown-haired woman blush and look away with a twitch of a smile. He could agree when John had said that Amelia was pretty; but when he caught her looking at him, he was more uncomfortable than pleased, and when she blushed, it didn't do to him what the blush of a certain petite blonde woman did.

Unable to help it, Ronon let out a low growl. There was no way to purge her from his mind. It didn't matter if he was sitting alone in the mess hall, or surrounded by people on the mainland, he would be forever cursed to think about her, and what almost was.

"Uh-hey Ronon," He didn't have to look up to know that it was Lorne standing beside the table he sat at, with Cadman at his elbow. Usually, the two of them were joined by Jennifer, or at least they'd used to be, before every second of her spare time was devoted to stroking McKay's ego. And considering the size of the scientist's ego; that was a time-consuming task, "Mind if we join you?"

He responded with an indeterminable grunt, which the twosome must have taken as a yes, because they both sat across the table from him. The now threesome sat in an awkward silence for long moments, though this was not the first time they had eaten together; the only sound the scraping of fork tines against plates, chewing, and swallowing. Then, Evan hauled in a deep breath, holding it in before releasing it in one, continuous stream and asked,

"Have you noticed anything, I don't know, _off_ about Jennifer?"

Cadman snorted, shaking her head and elbowed Lorne in the side, "Real subtle there sir."

"I dunno," Ronon's answer was more a grunt than words. What did Lorne mean by _off_? He could point out several things that she'd done or said that he never would have thought she'd say or do (starting with, "I'm interested in someone else."), but what was Lorne and Cadman getting at? _Off_ how? "What'd you mean?"

"I know you guys haven't been spending as much time together as normal since this whole McKay-thing came out of left field," Cadman prompted, and Lorne had to snort at the expression, "But you—Ronon—you're Jen's," She paused, caught herself before saying _best_, not seeing the big, intimidating warrior type appreciating that, "Closest friend, and I know that you mean a lot to her. It just; it seems weird that the two of you are all of a sudden not talking at all."

Yeah, he almost said, it was weird to him too. Ever since they'd been stuck together in the infirmary, during the quarantine, he and Jennifer had talked all the time. About anything and everything. She'd talked about her family, about Earth, about medical school, about being the odd one out when she was years younger than all of her classmates. He'd talked of Sateda; of his family, childhood, and friends, of Melena, even the occasional mention or observation from his time as a Runner. There wasn't a subject he'd found off-limits with Jennifer. At least, he'd thought there hadn't been. He then came from his musing, realizing that Cadman was still talking, and Lorne was trying to subtly call back his attention without Cadman realizing he'd been zoned out for most of her spiel.

"Could you, please, just try talking to her? See if something's going on, if something's bothering her?" Cadman was cajoling, "I've tried; Lorne has tried. Could you, just," She stopped trying to sweet-talk Ronon into doing as she asked, and instead, switched to a more ordering tone, "Just talk to her, for Christsakes Ronon. She's you're friend, and there's obviously something going on, so get your head out of your butt and make sure she's okay."

"If I promise to talk to her, will you stop yelling at me?" Ronon asked, peering at the Marine Lieutenant with a wary eye.

"Yes," Laura replied merrily.

"Alright, I'll talk to her," Ronon acquiesced, letting his head fall forward as he rubbed at the back of his neck, "I'll try anyway. She hasn't been all that talkative lately. With me, I mean."

"Just try," Laura admonished firmly, "Just. Try. Maybe it'll work."

"And maybe," Evan muttered to himself, "Maybe my team won't have to go and rescue Sheppard's for a whole week."

Ronon glared at Evan for that crack, though he did see the truth in it. Laura sighed, seeing the truth in it as well, and wondered just how well this _plan_ could possibly go.


	2. Equilibrium

**Chapter Two: **Equilibrium

**Author's Notes: **Okay, I'm pretty sure that's the fastest I've ever written a chapter, or had it posted up. I'm so proud. Thanks to those who read and reviewed! Enjoy chapter 2!

----

"Hey."

The low rumble at her elbow startled her, and she spun in place to find Ronon looming behind her, "Oh, hey Ronon. What's up?"

"Nothing much," Ronon replied with a bobbing nod, and Jennifer wore a thin smile, arranging the bottles in the medicine chest.

"That's nice," She replied, her attention more on the closing and locking the cabinet doors than talking to him. He'd cornered her between the infirmary walls the medicine cabinets and a few tray-tables of supplies. Perhaps this way, he'd at least get a few words out of her before she bolted.

"I was wondering, uh," He paused, unsure for a second. Ronon hadn't a clue how to broach the subject in the least, and was bumbling through the entire conversation, "Do you want to grab something to eat maybe? I mean, we haven't had much time to talk lately," He scuffed his boot on the infirmary floor, his hands stuck into his pockets, "You could tell me about your trip."

_Damn_. She was trapped. She'd thought that she'd gotten rid of him before. He'd stopped showing up, stopped coming around, and since she'd started spending so much time with the odious McKay (and really, she hadn't thought that one through before she'd made the decision), she and the Satedan barely had any contact at all.

And it was a pity. He was delectable to look at, he listened with a tiny smile on his face to her every word, and she'd seen just how much he cared for her. He was in love with her, that much was obvious to her. She only wondered if the feelings had been returned.

"You know, I would," She began, trying to wiggle her way out of the situation, "But I'm on shift until late tonight, so I can't. Sorry, maybe another time?"

"Yeah, sure," He quickly agreed, "I'll-uh-I'll see around later then?"

"Of course Ronon," She smiled sweetly at him, patting his arm lightly as she slipped past him and bit back a pleased noise as the muscles in his arm twitched under her touch.

He wanted to leave. He really wanted to leave. But, even though he had noticed that she was trying to dissuade him from sticking around, and that her shift was closer to its end than she was saying, he _had _come (had been sent really) to do something. And, truth be told, she was his friend, and he was _concerned _about her.

_Damn_. He had almost left; she'd almost been home free. But then he'd turned around (which really ruined her view, because _who_ wouldn't be looking?), and was again doing that adorable nervous thing. The one where he stuffed his hands in his pockets, scuffed his boot along a line in the floor, and wore a teeny-tiny smirk on his face. Unconsciously nibbling at her bottom lip, she asked in a breathy voice, "Was there something else?"

"Yeah, um," Ronon pulled one of his hands from his pockets, and tenderly took her hand in his much larger one, "You okay?"

She was almost mesmerized by the sight and feel of his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles, "W-w-wh-what?" How did that woman remain in control of her facilities, do her job, with a man like this showing up, wanting her attention? She was finding it difficult to focus on her own objectives with him around.

"Are you okay?" He continued to hold her hand, the two of them standing in an out-of-the-way corner of the infirmary, still in front of the cabinet she had been arranging. He'd stepped closer when he'd taken her hand, and with the closer proximity, he'd noticed something more than her behavior as different. She smelled different too, "You seem, different, somehow. Kind of lonely. Something bothering you? Do you—do you want to talk?"

_By the Ancestors_. He was intuitive too.

----

_Thwack_. _Thwack-thwack; thwack-thwack-thwack_.

"Something going on with you?" John dodged a hit, back-stepping quickly as Ronon advanced, expertly wielding his bantos rod, "Jesus Ronon, buddy," He threw up his own bantos rod, trying to block as Ronon continued on the aggressive attack, "Ease up, would you? Take it easy on me; I'm still a novice here."

Ronon made no verbal response, but backed off, stalking in a wide circle around John, the bantos rod poised for battle in his hand. John tried to keep his eyes on him, but as easy as both Ronon and Teyla made it look, sparring was difficult; and soon Ronon had the drop on him, sweeping his knees out from under him. John landed with a thump on his back on the matt, "Alright, that's enough," He panted, content to lie back on the floor and catch his breath, "That's enough for today. I'm out. I'm out."

And still, silence was the only thing he received from his sparring partner. His friend's long strides took him quickly to the other side of the gym where he grabbed a water bottle from among his belongings, and took a long pull from the bottle. And even as he drank, tipping his head back, Ronon still didn't stop moving. He paced the length of the gym; back and forth, as if he was trying to outrun his own thoughts.

"Ronon? Big Guy, what's going on with you?" John propped himself up on his elbows, looking curiously as his friend made another pacing lap of the gym, "Ever since we got back from the mainland last week, you've been acting really weird. Getting a little stir-crazy or something? Not enough action around here for you?"

This time, he received an agitated grunt, and; dreads flying, Ronon turned on the heel of his boot to begin another lap of pacing. It was then that John realized there was something really bothering his large, mainly silent friend. He'd acted like a caged bear the last few days, he'd been moody (moodier than normally), and he taken to glaring instead of speaking again. And John had _really _thought that he'd finally gotten over that habit.

"Help me up," John called, holding out a hand. Wordlessly, Ronon crossed the gym in two strides and grasped John's wrist; hauling him upright. But when he leaned down to do so; their movement caused the bantos rod in John's opposite hand to come off the floor as well, taking Ronon just above the eye.

Once he was certain John was steadily on his feet, Ronon backed away. Lifting a hand to his forehead, he touched his fingertips just above his eyebrow, and pulling them away, found a small amount of blood staining his fingertips. His reaction to this was a nondescript, "Hmm," And then he wiped his hands off onto his pants.

Peering at Ronon's cut forehead, John sighed, "Sorry Big Guy, I didn't even see that one coming."

"Forget it," Ronon said gruffly, "I'm fine."

"Yeah, sure," John recognized the usual avoidance, and taking the bantos rod from Ronon's hand, returned it and his own to their proper places, "C'mon, let's get you down to the infirmary, get that checked out."

"I'm fine," Was Ronon's quick, insistent protest, "It doesn't even need stitches. I'll wipe it off when I get back to my room."

"If I let you wander off, bleeding from that big ol'melon of yours, Doc'll have fit," John smirked, shaking his head, "And she'll take it out of my butt, so come on. If it's as superficial as you think, she'll clean it up, and," The teasing tone took over his voice, "If you're real good, maybe she'll even give you a lollipop."

"No," Ronon's voice was louder and more snappish than he'd intended, and so he carefully dialed it down as he protested, "I don't want to."

Staring quizzically at his six-foot-four (and probably then some) warrior friend, who now seemed to be almost pouting, John wasn't sure what to make of it; "Did you and Doc have a fight or something? Is that why you've been acting like a bear with a sore paw for the past few days?"

"A what?" Ronon asked, confused, his brow furrowing heavily.

"Never mind," John waved a hand dismissively, "If you and Doc had a fight, how long before you two kiss and make up? Because Ronon, no offence buddy, but with your luck, you're likely to need the infirmary sooner rather than later."

"We didn't have a fight," Ronon replied dimly, his gaze everywhere in the room but on John, "Okay, well, maybe a little one, but that's not the point here."

Exasperatedly, John blurted, "Then what is? Seriously Ronon, what is going on?"

His answer was quiet, stilted, and spoken to the floor "Have you noticed anything fishy with Jennifer lately?"

"Whaddya mean, fishy?"

"Cadman's word, not mine," Ronon looked up and, his expression earnest, he plead his case, "Lorne and Cadman brought it up the day we got back, but I'd already seen it. Jennifer's been acting kind of strange lately. So, I—I called her on it."

"And?" John prompted.

"And," The warrior stopped, scowled, and then continued, "She told me everything was fine, and that I was seeing something that wasn't there. Then she handed me one of those lolly-things that you like so much, and told me she'd talk to me later. It's later John, it's been later for _five _days," Ronon gestured uselessly with a wave of his hand, "I'm still waiting. She hasn't spoken to me since."

Carefully, contemplatively, John broached a question he knew wouldn't be easily answered, "Is it possible that maybe you are seeing something that isn't there? Maybe, just maybe?"

"If it were just me, I might think you were right, but for Cadman and Lorne to be wondering too? I don't know John."

"Alright, look, we'll go down to the infirmary now. I know she's on shift tonight, heard McKay talking about it. We'll get her check you out, and if she seems fine now, maybe it will set your mind at ease."

"I don't want to go John," Ronon griped, reaching to his forehead to wipe away some of the blood that was trickling down the side of his face.

"Oh, quit being such a baby," John admonished, giving Ronon's shoulder a shove so the big man moved slightly in the direction of the door, "And besides, I'll be there, as a sort of buffer, in case things get all heated and awkward."

"You're more likely to _cause_ the awkward part," Ronon grumbled, but he allowed himself to be pushed out of the gym and directed down the corridor.

----

"Morning boys," Laura lowered herself into a chair at the mess hall table beside Evan and across from Ronon and John. Evan seemed thoughtful; Ronon disheartened; while John appeared confused, "Jeez, what happened to you guys? The kitchen run out of blue jell-o or something?"

"Hey Cadman," Evan pushed his breakfast around on his plate, and Ronon didn't even look up from his own meal.

"Nah, just thinking," John assured lightly, forking a bit of his eggs into his mouth.

"Looks like it hurts," Laura observed with a slight grin, and even Ronon looked up at her to stare, "Sorry guys, but why so glum?"

"Ronon's bummed because Doc's not talking to him," Evan explained, pointing from Ronon to John with his fork, "And the Colonel is confused because he too, now thinks that Jen is acting weird. And me? Well, I just like to fit in."

Laura snorted, "Just couldn't resist the peer pressure could you sir?"

"I'm a follower Cadman," Evan returned in kind, "What can I say?"

Shaking her head, Laura turned her attention to the surly Satedan directly across from her, "So, you and Jen had another fight?"

"Nope," He growled, not looking up.

"Yeah, it wasn't so much of a fight as it was her telling him to stop hovering," John interjected, "To which he pointed out that he hadn't talked to her in five days. So then, she accused him of smothering, told him she didn't need him to track her every move, and then basically kicked him out of the infirmary."

"Ouch," Laura winced sympathetically, "Sounds like she's in a mood again."

Narrowing his eyes at John, Ronon grumbled, "She tossed you out too."

"Who tossed who where?" McKay interrupted as he plopped down beside John, a loaded tray of food in his hands.

"Nothing Rodney," John quickly directed the scientist's attention away, snatching a piece of toast from Rodney's tray, "Are you hungry this morning or what? Packing it away for hibernation?"

"Ha, ha," Rodney managed to wrangle the triangle of toast back from John before the Colonel took a bite, "No. I just require a decent amount of sustenance in the mornings. I need fuel for the day, if I'm going to work scientific marvels."

"Marvels eh?" Laura remarked, amused, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yes," Rodney returned hotly, "Not that I'd expect you to understand such a thing _Cadman_. My work is beyond your spectrum."

"I don't know _Rodney_," She drawled, clearly getting quite the kick out of getting under the scientist's skin, "I _did _spend all that time in your head. Maybe I picked a few things up."

"Don't remind me," Rodney groaned sickly, "Just thinking about it makes me lose my appetite."

"Now Rodney," If there was teasing to be had, John _had_ to be a part of it, "Is that any way to talk to a lady? Where are your manners?"

"What're you talking about, Kirk?" Rodney snarked back, and Ronon, Evan, and Laura all had to snicker as John puckered his brow at the common point of contention between the two men.

"May I join you?" Teyla's voice broke into the impromptu staring contest that had sparked. The Athosian cradled Torren in her arms; and even though the baby seemed fussy, Teyla's voice was as calm and poised as ever.

"Please," Was Ronon's quick reply, and he shoved an unoccupied chair out with his foot for her to sit.

"Mornin' Teyla," John greeted with a soft smile, "Morning little guy. You being good for Momma today?"

Torren in no way acknowledged John; instead the baby squirmed in his mother's arms, and reached for Ronon's hair from where the big man sat kitty-cornered to the baby. Teyla discreetly lifted him a little, so Torren had the leverage he needed to grasp one of Ronon's dreads, giving it a hearty tug. The scowl Ronon had been sporting softened until it disappeared completely, "What're you think you're doing?" He asked the baby in a low, gentle voice, and in response Torren cooed and gave him a gummy smile, pulling his fistful of hair to his mouth to chew.

Teyla then passed him the baby, thanking him for giving her the opportunity to rest her arms. Ronon carefully removed his dreadlock from Torren's grasp, instead giving him the small toy the child's mother had pressed into his hand, "There you go little man. Gnaw on that for a while. Bet'cha it tastes way better."

"Awww," Laura sighed dreamily, Teyla smiled serenely, John and Evan traded perceptive nods, and Rodney _harumped_ in his throat. Ronon looked up from the baby in his arms to Laura, seated across from him,

"What?"

"Nothing," The Marine grinned sweetly, disconcertingly so, and rolling his eyes, Ronon returned his attention to Torren; who held tightly to his _Uncle's_ shirt in one hand, the other was balled into a tiny fist by his rosy cheek. The baby's eyes closed, and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, content and comfortable curled in Ronon's arms.

Ronon, too, was content. For the first time in a while, he felt calm. Like the energy of the sleeping child in his arms was enough to bring him back into equilibrium.

----

Across the mess hall, another person watched the exchange; watched as the large gloomy man brightened as he cradled the small child in his arms. She hugged her arms around herself, sighing deeply; and instead of joining the group across the mess hall that would have welcomed her, she turned and walked away. Because it wouldn't be _her _they welcomed at all.


	3. Arriving Imposter

**Chapter Three**

**Author's Notes: **Yay! I managed to crank out another chapter! I honestly don't know where the words are coming from.  I hope you enjoy it. This is unbeta-ed, so all mistakes are my own. Also my own is Captain Reynolds, who appears for a moment or two near the end of this chapter.

----

"And remember your personnel evaluations are due next week," Woolsey scolded mildly, John lagging behind him as they entered the control room, "They'll have to be forwarded on to the IOA and Homeworld Security back on Earth."

"I'll get right on those," John said placating, twirling the lollipop he'd been snacking on in his mouth, "I've just been busy. Really busy."

"Really?" Woolsey turned back from where he'd reached Chuck's station, and regarded the Lieutenant Colonel disbelievingly, "You were on leave, and then your team has been on stand-down for the last week and a half. It seems to me like you've had all kinds of time to prepare your reports and have them submitted in plenty of time."

"Oh, don't you worry Woolsey," John crunched the lollipop between his teeth, taking his irritation at the grating bureaucrat out on the candy instead of outwardly at his superior, "I'll have those reports in to General O'Neill in plenty of time."

Woolsey had an answer to that; a stiff, rebuking retort, but it was cut off by Chuck's unexpected announcement of, "Unscheduled off-world activation!"

"Nobody's due back for another three hours," Woolsey observed, moving quickly to stand behind Chuck and peer at the screens.

"Receiving IDC sir," Chuck depressed a few buttons, before his expression and tone became bewildered, "It's Doctor Keller's code sir."

"What?" Woolsey demanded unbelievingly, trading a baffled glance with the equally as puzzled Lieutenant Colonel, "Doctor Keller is in the city."

"Open the shield," John gave the order, and Woolsey sputtered,

"What are you thinking? You have no idea what's on the other side of the gate. It could be the Wraith, someone trying to attack, trying to send a bomb through. It could be anything. What reasoning do you have to jeopardize the entire city's safety?"

"We need to know who has our access codes, and how the hell they got them. You said it yourself, Doc's already here," John returned briskly, "Yeah, it could be the Wraith, or a bomb, or hey, maybe even the Wraith _with_ a bomb. But we have to take that risk. Because how much more of a risk of the _entire city's safety _is it to have our codes floating around out there, in the hands on who knows what?"

There was a pause. Woolsey carefully considering John's words in his head, the technicians and occupants of the gate room watching closely for their CO's instructions. The IOA suit seemed to gird his mental loins, before letting out a brief sigh and ordering, "Alright, open the shield. I want two teams of Marines standing by in the gate room. Now."

All eyes watched the gate as Chuck lowered the shield, awaiting whatever calamity could or would befall them. All was quiet as they all watched the gate, the Marines poised for attack when from the shimmering event horizon, calmly walked a man and a woman. Both held their hands aloft, as if in surrender.

John and Woolsey exchanged puzzled glances before John hurried from the room, entering the gate room at a jog. The Marines approached cautiously, their weapons drawn and aimed for the intruders. When neither of the newcomers made an aggressive move, or lowered their hands, the Marines went forward, apprehending them. Both of the newcomers seemed subdued and calm, until one of the Marines harshly pulled the woman's arms behind her back, resulting in her pained hiss of breath. Then, the man lunged; a feral cry released from his throat as he grabbed for the Marine who had restrained his companion.

Other Marines now joined the fray, and the man still fought at them, pulling and punching to get to the woman, who was circled by the guards. The man fought at their restraining hands with the skill and tenacity of an experienced warrior, and though he was sorely out-numbered, they couldn't hold him back until there was two of them pinning his arms behind his back, another shoving his shoulders back, and others circling around him. And still he struggled; still he fought; his eyes searching for his companion who was now held back by just one Marine, her arms held behind her.

"Kiryk, no," His companion's voice was the one thing that seemed to penetrate the man's mindset, and even though he continued to shove and pull at the restraints, he had started to settle, "I promise, everything will be alright. Please?"

Kiryk was breathing hard, as were the bruised and bloodied Marines that surrounded him; but with a dip of his head, he acquiesced to her wishes; his eyes determined and resolute, and as John came close enough to see among the cluster of Marines, it looked as if he wore the expression of a caged animal, cornered and confined, trying desperately to return to freedom.

----

John looked down in the isolation room. The woman sat at a table in the middle of the room; armed Marines posted by the door. She sat quietly, not making a sound. Her posture, her expression, the wringing of her small hands; telegraphed nervousness, anxiety. Her eyes darted around the room, gazing at everything, taking everything in and cataloging it in her mind. John could almost see her mind was working in over-drive, but he hadn't the slightest idea as to what on.

"John?" Teyla joined him at the rail, and he turned to her, keeping one hand on the rail, "Are you going to interrogate her or leave her to soup a while longer?"

He smiled at the bungled Earth expression, "Nah, I think she's _souped_ enough. I'm going in. Just trying to get my head on straight."

The Athosian nodded, seeming to understand, "Has anyone spoken to Doctor Keller? Have they asked her as to how these people could have acquired her pass code?"

He nodded, turning back to place both hands on the rail, stretch his arms, and stare down at the occupant of the interrogation room, "Yeah. Woolsey's talking to her now."

It wasn't hard for her to see that there was something on his mind. Something more than just the intruders, "What is it John? There is something weighing on you, I can see it. Perhaps if you share it, you will not carry its burden."

He chuckled softly, "Perhaps," John stared again at the interrogation room before turning his head to look at Teyla once more, his recent conversation with Ronon swirling in his head, "Have you noticed anything going on with Doc lately?"

"I do not know what you mean," Teyla glanced from him, down to the woman in the interrogation room, and then back to him again, "You do not think that she gave her pass code away freely?"

"I don't know," John sighed, shaking his head, "But, I don't know. Ronon mentioned something the other day, and I pushed it out of my mind then, but now, I don't know," He repeated for a third time, and he appeared pensive as she laid her hand over his on the railing.

"You do not want to suspect her, because you think of Jennifer as a friend," At his nod, she continued in a gentle, but firm voice, "As do I. As do many of us here. But you must do what is best for everyone, even if it is difficult."

"I know," John nodded doggedly, exhaling severely, "I know."

The two stood, shoulder to shoulder, her hand still covering his on the railing, looking down at the unfamiliar woman in the room below, and wondering just what answers and troubles she may hold.

----

"How did you get the code you transmitted?" Was his first question; standing across the table from her. John hadn't sat down; instead he'd lowered his palms to the table top, and leaned on them. He'd been disconcerted, though he'd managed not to show it, when the recognition flickered across her face as he entered the room, while he'd gritted his teeth and launched into questioning, "How did you know what it was for?"

Ronon, Teyla, Woolsey, McKay, and Evan watched the questioning from above. Woolsey and Teyla stood at the railing, McKay fidgeted off to the side, and Evan and Ronon were off to the other; Evan half-seated on a tabletop, Ronon standing stiffly beside him.

"John," She called him by name, taking him, and all that were listening from above aback, "I know this is going to sound really, really, really weird, and I'll understand if you don't believe me, but I really need you to," The brunette rambled familiarly, and John narrowed his eyes at her, while Ronon crossed his arms, rocking back on his heels. Evan glanced up at Ronon from where he sat beside him, the Satedan meeting his eyes with the same sort of confusion, "I have that pass code because it's mine. I was assigned it more than a year ago."

"You really expect me to believe that _you_ were assigned a pass code, more than a year ago, that belongs to one of the personnel on this base?" John demanded harshly, "Do you see the problem I'm having here? That pass code belongs to one of my people. _How _did you get it?"

She sighed, letting her head fall so her face looked at the table, before bringing it back up, and meeting his narrowed, hard gaze head on, "I have that code because I am one of your people. I _am_ Jennifer Keller."

----

"What?" Upstairs, looking down on the questioning; all reacted to her assertion.

"No way," McKay murmured, shaking his head in disbelief, "It can't be. No way. Jennifer's been here. She's here. Not there."

Woolsey reached up to him ear, activating his radio, and calling John back for discussion. Teyla leaned heavily on the railing, her fingers clutching the rail tight enough for her knuckles to go white. Scenarios, possibilities were whirling in Evan's mind; at the forefront, his recent conversations with Laura and Ronon, both of which had surrounded their Jennifer's odd behavior.

Down in the interrogation room, John touched his radio, accepting Woolsey's transmission and gave an indicator nod. Giving an order to the Marine by the door, John had tossed a glance back at the woman, before exiting the room at a brisk clip, and heading straight for the gathering on the balcony above.

----

"What'd you think?"

John let the question hang. No one had an answer.

"Is it possible that she's telling the truth?" Woolsey finally asked in a strangled voice, "Let's suspend all disbelief here for a moment; is it possible that we have Jennifer Keller down in that room?"

"I suppose, theoretically, it could be possible, in some convoluted, messed up universe. But it isn't true here," McKay sputtered, "Because we have Jennifer Keller, who looks exactly like she's supposed to, in the infirmary, here. Where's she's been all along."

"She may look exactly like she's supposed to," Evan muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but Ronon's sensitive hearing picked it up, and Teyla too, heard the mumblings,

"What did you say Major?"

Evan hauled in a deep breath before he began, "With all due respect to Dr. McKay, sirs, ma'am, the Dr. Keller in the infirmary may _look_ exactly like she's supposed to, but she hasn't been acting like she's supposed to."

"Care to elaborate on that Major?" John instructed, beginning to wonder himself.

"Sir, myself, Lieutenant Cadman, Ronon," The Marine gestured to the Satedan standing beside him as he stood from his perch and approached the rest of the group by a few steps, "We've all noticed that Jennifer's behavior has been, well, weird, as of late, sir. There are things that haven't really been adding up. Things that she does or doesn't do that don't jive with the Jennifer I know."

"The Jennifer you know?" McKay snorted, "_Come on_ Lorne, it's not as if the two of you are bosom buddies."

"You see, that's another thing," Lorne took a large, aggressive step towards the belligerent scientist; his patience with the man quickly depleting, "Suddenly Jennifer can't make a move without McKay's approval or presence. I'm sorry, Doctor, I don't mean any offence here, but for as long as I've known her, Jennifer hasn't needed any kind of validation from anybody," He sent a piercing glare at McKay, and then turned once again to face John and Woolsey, "Sirs, I don't know how this is possible, or even if it is. I'm just saying, that with the discrepancies that have been noticed with the Jennifer we _do_ have, I think it would be a good idea if we didn't discount this one, just yet."

----

Something was going on.

There had been somebody assigned to watch her. She had been busy at one end of the infirmary; rearranging and replenishing the stacks of bandages awaiting use, when he'd entered. But when the Marine had appeared at the door, she had definitely noticed. The man's eyes moved with her as she crossed the room; kept careful tabs on her; lest she escape and disappear from the room.

Something was going on.

"Doctor?" The nurse, Marie, came up behind her, startling her slightly. She managed to stop herself before executing a little jump in the air, but her attention never waivered from assessing the Marine who watched her; kept careful track of her whereabouts. She expected he was reporting back to someone with that little communication device in his ear. The same one all of the people in the city wore, "Excuse me? Doctor?"

"Ye-yes Marie?" She stuttered, making it appear as if she was extremely busy with her work on the computer, when in reality, she had a minimalistic understanding of the data that was displayed on the screen. She'd been lucky that the entire base was on what their leaders had called _stand-by_, so that there were no major injuries or surgeries; and what did enter the infirmary were of a more ordinary, normal sort that she did have an idea as to how to deal with.

"Captain Reynolds," Marine motioned towards the Marine stationed stiffly just inside the infirmary's doorway, "He asked me to get you. He said that Mr. Woolsey and Colonel Sheppard need to speak with you."

Oh, yeah, something was definitely going on.

----

After that, John had returned to the interrogation room, with Evan's comments weighing heavily on his mind. Woolsey had ordered him to keep an open-ish mind, and then ordered McKay to figure out the possibilities and likelihoods of this actually occurring. McKay had grumbled, and then muttered grouchily to himself as he'd exited the balcony and headed for his lab.

Ronon had insisted on accompanying John back into the interrogation room, and upon their entrance, the brunette had looked up from where she'd been staring at her hands on the table, and murmured in a relieved voice, "Ronon."

They'd gone around and around with it, having her repeat detail after detail; about Jennifer herself, about Atlantis, about Earth, about just about anything John could think of to test her. They were making no progress. She couldn't hand them proof, tangible proof, couldn't tell them how it had all occurred. But things she said, and her gestures, facial expressions, and actions both alarmed and confused John and Ronon with their familiarity. Once, after a particularly difficult round of questions, for which she had no answers, she'd burst out frustrated, a hand raking the hair away from her face and catching it all at the base of her skull, "God, John. What possible benefit would it serve to come here, pretending to be Keller? For cryin' out loud, what good could that do anyone?"

Another time it had been, "I'm telling you everything I know here. I'll detail every bloody minute if I have to, but I need to know that you at least partially believe me."

A moment or so after that, John's radio activated. He tossed a look to Ronon, who returned it, and then John exited the room. Ronon then turned his attention back to the woman at the table, her petite body hunched tiredly in her chair.

There was something familiar about her, he had to admit. He wasn't convinced by her story, even though he knew the Jennifer he'd been interacting with on a daily basis was acting out of character, and the mannerisms and vernacular the woman sitting across the table from him was displaying was definitely helping her case.

The woman groaned, and shoved herself up from the chair, standing and pacing to the other side of the room. Noticing his gaze was following her as she fast-walked to one side of the room, and then the other, his posture rigid, "Relax Ronon, I'm not going to make a run for it. I wouldn't make it very far anyway."

"Stop doing that," He barked sharply, his voice chilly.

"Stop doing what?" She asked, her pacing stopping and she turned ever-so-slightly to face him, "Stop pacing?"

"No, stop talking to me, stop saying my name like you know me," Ronon ordered tersely, catching the fallen look in her eyes, "You don't know any of us, and you definitely don't know me. Not at all," With that, he turned to leave, and missed the hesitation and upset that swept over her.

"Her name was Melena!"

Her outburst stopped him dead in his tracks. The tension radiated from him, his posture tends and stiff as he slowly turned on his heel to face her again.

"What?" He bit out coldly. She stood; posture perfect, with her arms straight by her sides, her hands balled into fists. Her head was held high; brown eyes glittering with unshed tears and boring into his.

This time, when she spoke, her voice was quiet and firm, filled with determination and strength that never wavered and he couldn't help but find it familiar, "Her name was Melena. She was a nurse, back on Sateda. When the Wraith attacked, she refused to leave, even when you begged her to. She was," Only here did she falter. Clenching her hand tighter, she punched downward at the air, and took a few small steps towards him, "She was killed, right in front of you, when a dart hit the hospital."

With a roar, he moved without thinking, the potent mix of emotions swirling in his head too strong for anything to penetrate. Forcefully, he shoved her backwards; an arm barred across her shoulders; pinning her against the wall. Anger and confusion shone through on his face; his eyes wild as he stared down at her, demanding harshly, "Who are you? How do you know that? How do you know her name?"

The one emotion he expected on her face, in her body, wasn't there. Fear; she wasn't afraid of him. Instead, she pleaded with him, her eyes searched his face for any indication that he may believe her, that he might recognize her.

"Because it's me," She met his eyes, and his grip holding her against the wall slackened, "Ronon please. You know me. Please."

It was the way she said his name that finally broke through the anger and the ache that had surrounded him. He released her, almost jumping back as if her mere touch had burned him. She slid down the wall, chewing nervously at her lip and warily watching him as he stood in the middle of the cell; shell-shocked and staring. Neither moved, neither made a sound, except for the breath that thudded from their chests.

Finally, wide-eyed, he hauled in a lungful of air, and then, on the exhale, croaked out, "Jennifer?"

She nodded, the tears finally falling from her eyes and spilling over her cheeks. She brought her hands up to her face, her body curling into itself.

Ronon surged forward, his heart wrenching at the sight and sound of her tears. It was Jennifer, _his_ Jennifer. It wasn't her body, but there was something uniquely, purely her that shone through. He could see her behind those eyes. She was there; she was _here_. He gathered her up in his arm, cradling her borrowed body to his, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"You're safe. It's going to be okay. You're safe. You're home now."

John burst into the room on this scene, having left the balcony above at a dead-run when Ronon had first advanced on her. Neither of the two occupants of the room had made any indication of noticing that he'd entered, just as neither of them had given any indication of hearing him when he'd yelled Ronon's name before leaving the balcony. Now, he slowly approached to the two of them, a hand extended, "Ronon?" Edging closer, he was surprised to find that Ronon was hugging the woman, comforting her as she cried, "Buddy, what's going on?"

"It's her John," Ronon's voice rasped, glancing up as John came closer, "She's telling the truth. It's her."

"How'd you know?" What had finally convinced the normally suspicious and skeptical Satedan?

Ronon raised his face from the woman's hair, his eyes resolutely meeting John's over her head, "She knows about my wife," He hoarsely answered, "Jennifer's the only one I ever told."


	4. Discovery

**Chapter Four: **Discovery

**Author's Notes: **And here is Chapter four. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. :) Soon, we'll get into the explanations of what has occurred, how Neeva and Jennifer got switched, for how long, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Enjoy!

And once again, no beta, so mistakes are mine.

----

Kiryk sat on the bench in the middle of the cell; leaning his forearms on his thighs. He knitted his fingers together between his knees, and cracked his knuckles loud enough to cause the guard outside to grimace at the sound.

So _this_ was Atlantis; the City of the Ancestors. It was impressive, at least what of it he'd seen. The room in which they had arrived in, the hallways and corridors in which the uniformed men had lead him, and the inside of this cell were all that he had seen of the City of the Ancestors. And if the rest of the city was as big and stunning as the few rooms he'd been dragged through suggested, then it was a formidable city; worthy of the legends spread about it.

Jennifer had described it for him. As well as she could; from her recollection. She had told him of the tower, the ocean, the outer edges of the city. She'd depicted for him the setting of the sun over the water; the colors melting and blending with the waves. It was a beautiful picture. Kiryk only hoped that he'd get to experience it for himself. If he ever saw the outside of this cell again.

Right now, Kiryk would settle for seeing Jen. When they had been taken in; the men in uniform, the ones she called Marines, were too rough with her. He had seen her in battle; and despite her size, she'd been able to hold her own against a Wraith. Kiryk knew what she was capable of, but he also knew she was small in stature, and would not raise a hand against her own people. She trusted them. She had faith in them.

Now he just had to wait. Wait and see if that trust and faith was as well placed as they'd hoped.

----

The Marine that had escorted her from the infirmary had taken her directly to Woolsey's office. Captain Reynolds had brought her to the office, and once inside, Woolsey had directed her to the chair in front of the desk, "Have a seat."

"Mr. Woolsey," She greeted cautiously, sitting in the chair as directed, folding her hands together in her lap, "What's going on?"

"Doctor," Mr. Woolsey began, leaning forward onto the desktop, "We have what I'd have to call a situation going on here, and I think you're the one to clear it up for me."

"Well, I'll," She paused, coughed, and then tried to swallow the lump that had grown substantially in her throat since the appearance of the Marine in the infirmary. She fought to quell the nerves that bubbled up in her stomach, "I'll do my best."

"Good," Woolsey was cold, his tone brusque and clipped, "I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps you can explain to me how approximately an hour ago, two people; a man and a woman, contacted Atlantis and opened the shield with Doctor Keller's IDC."

Her mind ran on over-drive, trying desperately to think of something, anything to say to save herself, _"_My IDC sir? I don't know what you're talking about, I didn't give that code to anyone," She gnawed at the inside of her cheek, "I've barely been off-world, there's no way I could have given my IDC to anyone. I didn't, I wouldn't."

"I realize this," Woolsey sat back in his ornate chair, knitting his fingers together a few inches above his sternum, "Because it isn't your IDC to give away, is it Miss Casol?"

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

----

"So that's him huh?" John looked from the man inside the cell, to up at Ronon, who crossed his arms across his chest and nodded solemnly,

"Yup, that's Kiryk."

"He's the guy that kidnapped Doc from that village, when you and McKay went with her?" John asked, merely trying to flesh out the details.

"Yup," Ronon gritted his teeth, still perturbed about that particular incident; and not getting what Sheppard was going for.

"He managed to nab her right out from under both of your noses?"

This earned him a growl-and-stare combo that would have most scientists, most _people_, cowering behind whatever inanimate object that could hide them, "He had a transporter thing, made him invisible. Besides, she was only supposed to be walking from the house to the pub."

"Uh huh," John nodded, not at all deterred by the scowl on Ronon's face.

"He could have asked for her help," Ronon pointed out in retrospect, "She—we would have helped him and Celise."

"Maybe he didn't see it that way," John mused, and then ventured into emotional territory, "Kind of how you didn't see it that way when we ran into you for the first time."

Ronon grunted; he too seeing the similarities. He couldn't help but compare his situation and motivations to that of the other Runner. He'd been alone for years while he'd been running. Seven years he'd been hunted by the Wraith; running and fighting to survive. Never staying long in one place, never getting involved, always avoiding people, always on his guard. One slip, and it could mean his life. One slip in the wrong place, could mean someone else's life. He'd lived on survival instincts, a thirst for vengeance, and fear for years; years until he had run into Teyla and John.

The people of Atlantis were good people; they had taken him in, the furious stray that he was. On Atlantis, he had found things he never would have thought he would find again; a home, and with Teyla, Sheppard, and even McKay; a family. Then Jennifer had come along and given him back something else Ronon thought he had lost forever. Something he had thought had died with Melena.

It had been pure hell when he'd believed he'd lost her. It was a literal, physical ache, one that he couldn't explain or stop. To see her every day, but to barely talk to her, rarely have her smile at him, to never touch her; was pure hell. But actually expressing all of this _to_ her; the words were beyond him.

"Ronon? _H-e-l-l-o_," Trying to call Ronon's attention back to wherever his mind had disappeared, John tapped on the side of his friend's head, "Are you still in there buddy?"

"Yeah," Blinking hastily, Ronon caught John's wrist as the Lieutenant Colonel knocked on his temple, and shook his head, "What're you doing?"

----

"Rodney," She'd found him in his lab, alone and hunched over his worktable with the computer screens all illuminated and scrolling with data. Woolsey had been about to radio for McKay to join them, but Teyla had offered to retrieve her teammate and bring him along to the conference room in time to join the briefing.

The scientist didn't turn from his computer, instead pecked at the keyboard on the table in front of him, "Teyla. What are you doing down here?"

Taking a few steps into the room, Teyla curled her fingers around the top of a padded desk chair on wheels, "Mr. Woolsey is asking that we all meet in the conference room. He wishes to brief us all at the same time."

"How efficient," Rodney muttered with feigned reverence.

"What are you working on?" Teyla crossed the lab to stand beside him and see the screens Rodney stared at.

"I am going through the database, trying to find hypotheticals to present for the current situation," Pressing a few more keys, Rodney remarked deprecatingly, "It's a good thing SG: 1 got into so much trouble. Gives all kinds of information for reference."

"Do you have a solution?" Teyla asked curiously.

"Nothing that I can pin-point," Rodney sighed, unplugging a tablet from the computer, "At least not until I get some more particulars. Speaking of which," He gathered the tablet under his arm and waved her towards the door in the glass wall of his lab, "Let's go. We don't want Woolsey to get any tighter wound than he already is."

She could see that it was getting to him, could see that he withdrawing; becoming more reserved, "Rodney, are you alright?" Teyla grasped his arm as he made to pass by her to exit the lab.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He offered mildly, letting out a heavy breath, "Ready?"

Teyla realized that for the moment, that was all she would be able to get out of him, and instead chose to acquiesce with a nod, "Let's go."

----

The cell around him made a _whoosh _sound as the walls powered down, and the door swished open, framing two shadows within it.

"Was wondering how long you were gonna wait," Kiryk muttered, looking up from staring at the floor, his face set determinedly.

"You believe her?" Ronon asked gruffly, not bothering with introductions or pleasantries.

"You do," Kiryk answered with the same kind of brusque tone, "And yeah. She knew about Celise, about me. It was harder not to believe her. Especially after those two idiots explained it."

"Two idiots?" Ronon immediately growled, not understanding.

Kiryk smirked, "I'll let her tell you. She tells it far better than I ever could," He then raised his chin to acknowledge the man standing just behind and to the right of the Runner he recognized, "You must be Colonel Sheppard," There was a small bit of uncertainty in the former Runner's voice, as he tried to wrap his tongue around the unfamiliar name.

"How did you know that?" John puzzled as he slipped past Ronon to stand further inside the cell.

"Jennifer described you, quite accurately. All of you, actually," Kiryk explained, standing from the bench. As Kiryk crossed well-built arms over a barrel chest, John took a glance between Ronon and their visitor, and wondered if theirs was standard build for Runners. Because the two were definitely built similarly.

"She did," John nodded, then stepped aside and motioned for Ronon to do the same, "You need to come with us. Our leader wants to meet you, and we can't let you miss story-time."

Wordlessly, Kiryk strode through the cell door, brushing past both Ronon and John and stopping only when he reached the hallway. He turned as if you ask _you coming?_ and the two 'Lateans quickly caught up with the other former Runner's stride, directing him along the maze of Atlantis corridors.

----

She couldn't wait any longer, and Laura fairly burst into the room. Bypassing the other officers in the room; a large, muscular man and a brunette she didn't recognize (Laura surmised were the intruders), Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, and Ronon; Laura went directly to Evan, "Well? What do they say?"

"They say it's her," Evan replied gesturing towards the brunette woman across the room, who stood between Ronon and the man Laura didn't recognize.

"Her? Really? Are they sure?" Laura scanned the woman up and down, inspecting the unfamiliar form closely, "She doesn't seem like our Jen."

"I can hear you, you know," The brunette turned, arms crossed and smirking.

"Really?" Laura, hands on her hips, strode up to the brunette, a defiant look on her face, "Then what's Major Lorne's middle name?"

"Marcus," Jennifer answered promptly, taking a step to bring her toe-to-toe with Laura, answering the challenge the redhead offered, "Next?"

"What's my favorite way to sleep?" Was Laura's following question.

"In the buff," The brunette held up a hand, covering her mouth as a chortle escaped, and she then had to add with a grin, "Poor McKay."

A smile was beginning to blossom at the corner of Laura's mouth, and she was gaining confidence with each answer, but still she continued, "What's your worst nightmare?"

"The Alien dream," Was the swift reply, accompanied by a small shudder, "Where that bug bursts out of the guy's stomach. I had that dream when Sheppard brought that entity from that crystal back through the gate. The one that killed Dr. Heightmayer."

"Where'd you grow up?"

"Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin."

She was growing nearer and nearer to believing; was teetering on the precipice, but it would take a bit more than that, "Boxers or briefs?"

"His or mine?" The brunette answered sardonically, the smirk growing.

She didn't ask another question, instead, Laura stepped forward another step and pinned her gaze with that of the brunette. The newcomer didn't falter; she stared back with equal vigor and strength. Each followed the other with their eyes, Laura leaning one way and the other woman would follow; the eye contact between them never breaking. Long, tense moments passed with no one speaking, as the attention of the rest of the people in the room had turned to the odd faceoff a few paces inside the doorway.

Finally, narrowing her eyes in a manner _Dirty Harry_ would be proud of, Laura held up a finger; the stare never breaking, "I only have one more question."

"Oh yeah?" The other woman returned, she too glaring fiercely, "What's that?"

"This," Asking in movements, Laura mimed an _aha!_ look on her face, holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger, and the other hand with an index finger aloft in front of her face. "Or," She then changed her pose to that of flexing her muscles; hands almost meeting as her arms created a semi-circle from her torso, "This."

Shaking her head, Jennifer muttered with a giggle, "I hate you."

"You love me," Laura answered promptly, and then threw a hand over her mouth just after a gasp escaped, "It _is_ you!" Now sure that it was her friend standing in front of her, mistaken appearance or not, Laura threw her arms around the other woman, hugging her vehemently. Returning the hug with gusto, Jennifer had to smile; feeling more and more at home each moment.

After Laura released her, Evan stepped forward, and opened his arms, causing her to fly into them happily, "Welcome home," He murmured against her hair, and Jennifer tightened her borrowed arms around him, inhaling deeply,

"Ah, you smell good," Then, she lowered her voice, covertly glancing at Laura without lifting her head from Evan's shoulder, and asked, "Are you wearing your _girl-chasin' _cologne?"

Evan made a strangled coughing noise, and John looked at him with a bewildered look on his face, "You okay there Major? I know you two are close and all, but take a breath man."

Smiling wickedly as Evan released her from the hug, Jennifer informed her friend, "You are turning a little purple."

Frowning deeply at her, Evan muttered with fake exasperation, "I hate you."

The grin getting bigger, Jennifer winked at him, "You love me."

-----

"Alright people, let's get this started, shall we?" Woolsey began as he preceded two others in entering the room. He went straight for his chair at the head of the rectangular conference table, pausing only when he had to side-step around Kiryk. The taller man simply crossed his arms and peered down at Woolsey, watching him closely as he took his seat.

"There you are Woolsey," John gestured towards the IOA member, "We were all getting reacquainted and wondered if you were gonna stand us up."

Captain Reynolds turned just outside of the room, having been posted to the door. Neeva; within Jennifer's body, paused in the doorway. The nerves that had been bubbling up from her abdomen having balled into a pit that sat firmly in her chest. She wasn't sure where to go or how to move, and instead simply stood in the doorway as if she had frozen there.

Her own pair of brown eyes came to sweep over her borrowed body, and Neeva tried to stave off trembling as the owner of said body peered at it with concern, assessing its condition. Jennifer took in the grey pants that clothed her lower half, the loose jacket that covered her from her hips upwards and was only zipped part of the way up. But what caught her interest mostly was the blue, flowing shirt underneath; that gathered just under her bust and then fabric floated away from her body.

Cocking her head to one side, she pursed borrowed lips before asking in a curious voice, "Have I gained weight?"


	5. Explanations: Part One

**Chapter Five **: Explanations: Part One

**Author's Notes: **Thank-you to everyone who read and reviewed. I wait eagerly for them every time. I just have to give a few notes before we start;

_P2X-496 _is a random planet designation that I made up. I don't know if it's already been used, but I hope not. I also don't recall if they had all kinds of notice when they met Todd about the treatment-thing, so I'm just spit-balling that. So it might be a little off; but I'm setting that meeting with Todd-the-Wraith as more of a "progress meeting' than a 'testing meeting'. I hope that doesn't through anybody off.

The normal text is Jennifer's recollection of what happened (so it's Jennifer talking); the italics are the present (and are back in third-person narrative). There is initially more normal text than italics, but it gets a little italics-heavy near the end. : )

----

It was hazy at first. When I woke up; I remember being cold and stiff from lying on the floor. Things were starting to get clearer, and I found myself in a room with wooden walls, and an uneven wood floor. There was light filtering in from dirty windows on one wall. It was then that I realized I wasn't alone.

"What're we gonna do?" One man; a tall, dark skinned man asked the other; a shorter, fairer man with hair that reminded me of Sheppard's, actually.

"I don't know," The second man hissed back. He then leaned closer to the window, his hands braced on either side of the splintered frame, and groaned, "But we gotta figure it out now, because they're comin'!"

I tried, and was mildly successful in sitting up, the rough, uneven floorboards digging into my tailbone. I rested my arms and then pulled my legs up close. The initial lethargy was wearing off, and it was a good thing too, because the larger of the two of them was grabbing my arm and hauling me up from the floor. He slung me over his shoulder, while his companion continued to watch through the window, trying to guess how close whatever they were watching for had gotten.

"We'll make a run for the woods, then make a break for the ring," The one at the window decided, bobbing back and forth in place like he couldn't see what he wanted to. The man whose shoulder I hung over crossed the room to the door, and opened it cautiously,

"C'mon Jannick. We gotta get moving."

"Alright," _Jannick_ now joined us at the door, and before I could get my bearings or say anything' the two of them started to run.

"_He threw you over his shoulder?" Rodney interjected, "Like-like a sack of potatoes?"_

"_Yup," Jennifer replied, seeing the varying reactions around the table. She sat comfortably, with Ronon on one side and Kiryk on the other. Teyla sat beside Kiryk, and at the foot of the table, sat Sheppard. Beside him was Rodney, and Evan, with Neeva seated directly across from Jennifer. As odd as it was to be staring across the table at one's own body; Jennifer found it strangely comforting. Beside the thief was Laura, and then, ensconced at the head of the table was Woolsey, his tape recorder within arm's reach._

"_Why were they running?" John asked as he rapped one set of knuckles; then the other lightly on the table.  
_

_  
Pointing at the Lieutenant Colonel, Jennifer waggled a finger, "Don't be getting ahead of me now."_

They ran into the woods, and I was trying not to fall or flap off of the guy's shoulder. They go for a long while, occasionally looking behind us. When we arrived in this densely forested area, they stopped and the bigger guy dumped me onto the ground, and both of them resumed craning their necks to see if we'd been followed.

"I'm gonna make sure they don't catch our trail," The man who'd been carrying me informed us, and then he disappeared from sight, back into the brush.

The other man, _Jannick_, sat a few paces from me. He removed his weapon from where he'd carried it on his hip, and loosely gripping it, he pointed it at me, "Stay put," He ordered sharply.

"Who are you?" I demanded, curling my limbs in to my torso, "Why are you kidnapping me? How'd I get here? What do you want?"

"Shut up!" He hissed, "You just keep quiet, and maybe we'll make it out of this alive!"

"_What_?" I gaped at him, my voice having risen louder than it probably should, considering we were hiding from a gang of irate villagers armed with pitchforks and axes. Of course, I didn't know that at the time."

"_Wait, wait, hold on a minute," Evan held up a hand, calling for a pause, "Pitchforks?"_

"_I know, I know," Jennifer leaned ahead in her chair, speaking companionably, her gaze scanning the other side of the table before it was called back to Ronon, as it had been ever since she'd returned and first caught sight of him, "It sounds like a scene out of a B-list monster movie."_

_Evan snickered, "It sounds like something SGA: 1 would get into," Noticing Sheppard's glare aimed directly for him, Evan apologized, "Sorry sir."_

_Laura pursed her lips to mash down a laugh, John was shaking his head, and Rodney was rolling his eyes. Ronon and Teyla had some sort of an idea as to what she was referring; more of an idea to what Evan was referring. But Kiryk and Neeva were completely baffled. Woolsey frowned, _

"_Can we please carry on Doctor?"_

"_Right," Offering Ronon a smile, Jennifer straightened in her chair and continued._

"What are you talking about?" I had lowered my voice and was now talking in a whisper, "What or who is coming after you?"

He didn't answer me, didn't have the time, because the other man had returned, "We gotta go now!" He ordered, once again grabbing me by the arm and slinging me over his shoulder.

"Bordal, what'd you see?" Jannick huffed out as they took off again.

"They're closin' in, and I heard'em send men back to guard the ring," Bordal, the one who'd been carting me around, replied in a heavy breath. I hadn't the slightest where we were going, and the two of them kept running. I could hear people, men's voices yelling and thundering through the woods behind us. They were coming closer, and then suddenly we veered right, off the path, and then left through the woods. I could feel the branches whacking me in the back when they ducked under the trees. And then we stopped, and I was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground again.

"What'd we do?" Bordal knelt behind a cluster of especially wide trees, trying to catch sight of whoever was chasing us.

"We won't make it to the ring, it's probably too heavily guarded by now," Jannick hissed back, "Especially in the daylight," He watched me, glancing from me to his partner and then back.

"What about her?" Bordal tossed the words and a look over his shoulder at me, "You heard Neeva. We're supposed to make sure _she_," I guessed the special inflection when he hit the pronoun was for me, "Doesn't run off and stick with the device so we can reverse it."

"Reverse what?" I immediately questioned, and was shushed again, "Reverse what?"

"Shut up!" Jannick ordered, and then all three of us went silent as the noise increased and whoever was chasing us got closer still, "If we don't find a way the hell out of this, there won't be anybody _to_ reverse _any_thing! Because we'll be _dead!_"

"Fine, all right, I get it!" Exasperated, Bordal slapped an open palm against a tree trunk, "Can we make it to the caves, do you think?"

Their attention was then on gauging distances; distances between us and our pursuers, distances between us and the caves. Neither of them was watching me any longer, and so I took my moment. The next time they looked up, I was gone.

"_Where did you go?" Woolsey asked, adjusting the recorder so it would pick up the voices in the rooms clearer._

"_I turned myself in," Jennifer shrugged, "Naïve, I know. I thought that I could turn myself in, show them that I wasn't who they were after, and then I would find a way home," She spoke wistfully, and she soon found Ronon's hand squeezing hers gently under the table. She squeezed back, accepting the sympathetic looks extended to her from around the table. She almost cracked there; she was back in Atlantis, with those she considered family and friends, her hand encased in Ronon's warm, much larger one. But there was still more to go, and it would get worse before it got easier, "My plan didn't pan out exactly as I'd hoped."_

"Halt! Do not move!" The leader of the villagers hollered the order, and I stopped and held my hands up when they ordered.

"Look, I-I'm not with the men you're looking for. I have nothing to do with them. My name is –"

I was cut off when the leader of the pack of angry, armed villagers screamed, "Silence!"

Two of the villagers then grabbed me by the arms and dragged me back to their village, sandwiched between them. They wouldn't listen as I tried to explain who I was and that I wasn't with the first two who'd dragged me off, at least, not by choice. I didn't have much proof, and after a while, I stopped trying to explain and concentrated on keeping upright as we crashed through the woods. When we got back to the village, I didn't see much of it. Instead, I was promptly taken to a coarse looking building, and shoved inside.

They dumped me in a dirty, windowless cell, and slammed the barred door shut, locking me in.

Their leader, a portly fellow in clean looking, well-made clothing, stood irately on the other side of the barred door, his hands on his hips as he stared into the cell at me. He looked me like I was so far beneath him that it was an insult for him just to suffer my presence, "A well place for the likes of you," He sneered and then he turned on his heel as well as a man of his size could and slammed out of the building. I was the only one in the cell, thankfully, and what I could see of the outer room was empty. I was alone.

I tried to get the door to open, tried picking the lock and pulling on the door. I checked the cell walls for cracks and holes. But there was nothing, the door wouldn't budge, I didn't have the right tools for the lock, and I was trapped.

When I finally gave up, I flopped down on the unstable bench that occupied one corner of the cell and stared at the wall. It was then that I noticed the broken piece of mirror hanging there. And when I looked into the mirror, it wasn't my reflection looking back at me.

"_It wasn't my face, it wasn't my body, it wasn't _me_," Jennifer summed up, and if sensing her discomfort, Ronon again squeezed the hand of hers he still held, "But it was _me_, because it was _me_ looking out. I was terrified."_

"_So you woke up," Rodney began in his gathering-all-the-facts tone, as he gestured with both hands perpendicular to the table, "With your consciousness already transferred into this body?"_

"_That's how it happened," Jennifer agreed, using her free hand to shove a handful of brown hair off and away from her face. She had absolutely no inclination to pull her hand free of Ronon's. Not when she was finally home, finally with him again. She had dreamed of it for so long and now she was finally here. She was back, and he was here and holding her hand and it made her want to burst out into tears with relief from it all. _

"_So, what were you doing," She almost missed it as Woolsey posed a question to her, "Where were you when you were first transferred?"_

"_Um," Again she brushed at her forehead, and shivered. Kiryk noticed this, as well had he noticed his former companion's hand held in Ronon's. While he smirked at their immediate draw, he slid the jacket he wore from his shoulders and draped it over Jennifer's small stature. She offered him a smile of thanks, and then she continued once again, "I was here, in Atlantis. It was a couple of days after we'd returned from P2X-496, about a week or so before we were supposed to meet Todd on the Daedelus, to share our findings so far," The audible inhalation of breath exposed the reactions around the room as they made the calculations in their heads, "I had dinner in the mess with Ronon, and then met Evan and Laura in the lounge. I went to sleep, alone, in my room," Jennifer used one hand to draw Kiryk's jacket closer around her borrowed shoulders, "And when I woke up, I wasn't in my room, or in Atlantis. And I wasn't alone."_

"_Wait_," _John held an index finger aloft in front of his face, having completed the calculations in his head and not liking the result, "This has been going on for months? What the hell?"_

"_Just a little over two months actually Colonel," Jennifer clarified for him, and Neeva nodded her agreement._

"_If this has been going on for so long, why hasn't anybody brought it up before?" John glanced between Evan and Laura; the Major and Lieutenant exchanging looks of their own. John then craned his neck around Teyla and the bulky ex-Runner beside her to peer at Ronon, "Why didn't anyone mention anything to me before?"_

"_At first, we kind of put it off," Evan admitted, "I—we let it go as," The Major trailed off, but the Lieutenant beside him had no qualms about picking up his train of thought, _

"_I thought she was bein' weird because she was dating McKay. 'Course," Laura snorted, "That should have been our first clue."_

_It was Jennifer's turn now to be agog, calling as best she could as her mouth fell open, "Wait, what-wh-wha-what? _What_ are you talking about?" She looked first to Laura and Evan, her gaze then switched to Rodney, sliding over to Neeva before it swung back to Ronon, "_What_? Could somebody please start explaining, _right now_," Preoccupied at the moment and desperately searching for her answers, her attention was then directed at Neeva, the woman who sat silently since she'd been brought into the room, not opening her borrowed mouth through Jennifer's entire spiel, "What possible reason could you have for _that_?" _

"_I couldn't very well complete my objective with _him_," The thief-in-the-Doctor's-body motioned toward Ronon, who was instantly on edge. Jennifer could feel the tension ripple through his body, "Watching my every move. McKay had no idea, and he eagerly told me exactly what I needed to know," Jennifer didn't like the devilish smile that transformed her own face as Neeva finished, "It wasn't hard to convince him to tell me what I wanted to hear."_

"_You used my body to_ seduce _the information out of McKay?" Jennifer uncertainly glanced from Neeva to McKay and even then, her gaze only lingered on McKay for a second. She then nervously fastened Kiryk's jacket to her neck, and then held it closed with a hand at her throat. Even though she wasn't inhabiting her own body, she still felt exposed. _

_Rodney didn't know how to react. He seemed to draw inward, curling back into his chair. The scientist began with him nervous habit of clapping the palm of one hand against the top of the other. Heaving a sigh, he shook his head, awkwardly informing the room, "Nothing happened. We just –dated— a few times. You—she came with me to an event back on Earth, that's all."_

_Jennifer heaved her own sigh, this one of relief, and at the sound, she saw the distress on Rodney's face, and instantly felt a pang of regret for treating her friend's feelings with such carelessness, "I'm sorry Rodney. That came out wrong, I was nervous. I," She trailed off, and the scientist picked up where she left off, _

"_I know, I'd want to know what somebody was doing with my body when I didn't have control of it too," Rodney agreed, and it was clear in his voice that he was upset. How else could he phrase it? While he could kind of—sort of get passed (the intellectual, logical parts of him could, anyway) her instant, gut-reaction; what he couldn't get passed was with the others. Their frame of reference for her, for Jennifer's odd behavior (and if he was being truthful with himself, he really should have seen it) was her attachment to him. It stung. More than he was want to admit._

"_I will say though, you do have good taste," Neeva informed Jennifer in a pleased tone, "Your Satedan was almost always by your side." _

"_Until?" Jennifer prompted, feeling the word hang in the air, and feeling her cheeks warm at the mention of _her Satedan_. The very same Satedan who again held her hand; his very large, very protective presence her one anchor at the moment when it felt like everything; her life, her own body, were far, far out of her control._

"_Until I told him that you were interested in someone else. I could hardly do what I had to with your burly protector looking over my shoulder," The thief clarified as if it were obvious, "McKay was so eager for your attention that it was easy to encourage him to tell me what I needed."_

_At the words _burly protector_, Woolsey visibly choked. Those were the exact words he'd used to describe Ronon to Jennifer (apparently, it had been Neeva, posing as Jennifer at the time, but still) while they were on the Daedelus. _

"_From a purely strategic standpoint," Kiryk ventured, speaking his first since the debriefing had begun, "It is a good idea. Run off the person, the people," He waved a hand, indicating Evan and Laura from where they sat across the table, "Who would know you the best."_

_Jennifer nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. _

_Laura's eyes glimmered as she looked from each of them seated around the table until her gaze came to rest upon Jennifer-in-the-thief's-body. There was clear upset on her face, and beside her; Ronon wore the impenetrable expression Jennifer had coined his _Runner's Mask_. McKay too, was visibly troubled, still soundlessly meeting one palm to the top of a loosely-made fist. Sheppard's eyes darted from one person to another, and Laura could see the Lieutenant Colonel's mind speeding through its track, and she wondered what he made of the situation. Woolsey had taken to rubbing at his temples with two fingers, drawing in and releasing patterned breaths. She couldn't read Kiryk's expression, having only just been introduced to the man, but Laura guessed his face bore his own version of the _Mask_. Evan (as she'd taken to thinking of him as) fidgeted in his chair; drumming his fingers against the table top in a tune she couldn't place. And Teyla too was on edge, the usually serene face of the Athosian drawn and curtained. And Laura had no idea as to what to say; it was evident none of them did, and they sat there in an awkward silence until, Teyla, ever the diplomat, suggested, _

"_Why don't we take a break?" Her head turned to John, posing her suggestion to him, "I expect both Jennifer and Kiryk are hungry, and it would give all of us a needed few moments to assimilate."_

"_Right," John nodded, agreeing belatedly. He then looked up to the head of the table, "Woolsey?"_

_Their IOA-appointed-CO nodded briskly, "Good idea. We'll reconvene in half an hour."_


	6. Recess

**Chapter Six Title: **Recess

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for the awesome reviews! It makes my day to find them in my inbox. Hope you enjoy this chapter. : ) No beta, mistakes/typos…all mine…

----

He and Lorne had escorted Neeva to an empty barracks room to wait out the allotted half hour. It was difficult for John; and he suspected for the rest of them, to look into Doctor Keller's face but know that it was another, potentially dangerous person staring out from behind her eyes. It was unnerving, to say the least. It was downright terrifying; if one were to sit down and really think about it.

Jennifer, the real one, had left the conference room flanked by an ever-vigilant Ronon; a brimming-with-questions Cadman, and a once again silent Kiryk. He hadn't been able to get a read on that guy. Kiryk seemed all right; in fact he seemed damn near friendly, when John had first met him in the cell. It helped that Doc, Ronon, and even McKay had vouched for the man. Kiryk was attentive to Doc, and an understanding seemed to exist between him and Ronon. Apparently on their first meeting, Rodney and Kiryk hadn't had the chance to bond, as neither one really acknowledged the other now, except for the requisite tip of the head when re-introduced. There was a quiet intensity; a kind of surreptitious vibe he was getting from the former Runner, and John would continue to be uneasy until he had assured himself that all would be well. Eventually.

And then, there was Rodney. The scientist had fled from the conference room as soon as Woolsey had called intermission; like someone was chasing him, armed with an orange. With both Doc and Kiryk, and subsequently Ronon currently occupied; and Neeva locked under Lorne and a Marine's watchful eyes, John sighed. He really should go check on his gloomy scientist friend,

"You got everything here?"

"Yeah, sure sir," Evan answered, hiking a thumb towards the guarded door, "Michaels is on the door, and I'll be fine here," He glanced down at the watch strapped to his left wrist, "There's only twenty-three minutes left of this break anyhow."

"Good," John sighed again, shoving his sleeves up to his elbows, baring wiry forearms, "I'm going to go see if I can sniff out McKay. He disappeared right after Woolsey called recess."

"Huh," Evan grunted, looking over his shoulder momentarily to be sure the thief masquerading as his friend still lingered beside the first bed in the line, "He fled the room fairly quickly."

John exhaled hard, finding the situation they found themselves in this time difficult to put into his usual, sarcastic vernacular, "Kind of freaky when you find out your girlfriend is really another woman inhabiting the body of the woman you thought you were dating, and was only pretending to be interested in you for whatever reason."

Glancing back at their _guest _again, Evan shook his head with a smirk, "When you put it that way sir."

"See you back in there," Offering a quick nod to Michaels as he passed by, John was off on his search for the cantankerous astrophysicist.

----

"Hey. You doing okay?" Laura bumped her arm against Jennifer's to catch her friend's attention, "You're wandering on me."

"Sorry," Jennifer shook her head, trying to clear it, "No, I'm okay, just thinking."

Laura nodded, then followed the direction of Jennifer's sight and smiled, "I see you're not letting him out of your sight," She feigned a dreamy sigh, "Ah, just like old times."

"Funny," Jennifer muttered, picking at the sandwich she'd placed on her tray. She and Laura had staked out a table in the semi-crowded mess hall. Ronon and Kiryk were still making their way through the food line. And, truth be told, she hadn't taken her eyes off Ronon, if she could help it. She was hesitant to look away; for fear he would disappear. She was scared the whole thing would disappear and she would be back in that cell, or back hiding in those caves.

"Jen?" This time, Laura sounded worried, and Jennifer looked up with a light smile to reassure her,

"I'm fine, really. I'm just really glad to be home," Anxiously, she shredded her sandwich of its bread crust and admitted, "I'm afraid that if I look away this won't be real, and it'll be a dream, and I'll still be hiding out in those caves or locked up in a cell."

"Aw, Jen," Laura reached her arms out; drawing her best friend—wrong body notwithstanding—into a tight hug. The two women rocked back and forth in their mess hall chairs; neither caring about the prying eyes of the others seated around them. Emphasizing her point with a hearty squeeze, Laura intoned, "You are really here Jen. I'm really here, and Ronon's really here, and Ev-Major Lorne, we're all really here. You're really home. No dream; _reality _here darlin'. Cold, hard, reality."

"Thanks Laura," Jennifer sniffled into her friend's BDU clad shoulder. As the two broke from the hug, Jennifer ran a fingertip under each of her eyes and hauled in a deep breath, "I needed that."

"No problem," Laura offered with a wink, "And if I'm not around, there's always a hunky, six-foot-four, usually silent fella who wouldn't mind a cuddle."

"Laura!" Letting out an intentionally overstated gasp, Jennifer looked up to find the previously mentioned _fella_ headed for their table. Her joking expression dropped, and uneasily, she hiked her chin in their direction to alert her grinning friend. This wasn't exactly a conversation she wanted to have to explain to neither Kiryk nor Ronon. In public, at least. Both men would be confused and mildly intrigued, Laura would be laughing until she cried, and Jennifer would be sitting in her borrowed body with a face hot and crimson from blushing, "They're comin'!"

"Oh c'mon Jen. I know you, and I know that there's something going on--" Looking up, Laura then too saw that Ronon and Kiryk were on their way to the table the two women occupied, and a glance back at Jennifer showed signs of a blush creeping up her neck, "Okay, fine. Details later, but just tell me this—there is something going on there right? Please tell me that there's something going on between you and him?"

They were only three tables away, and Jennifer knew that she had to answer. Laura wouldn't let her out of it, even if she had to resort to covertly posing the question with both Ronon and Kiryk present. Eyes darting from the two approaching men to Laura, Jennifer huffed nervously, "_Yes_," She informed Laura in a low voice, "There is. Or there was. I don't know after all of this—"

"_Puh-lease_," Laura interrupted hastily, "That boy can't take his eyes off of y—" She cut herself off as they arrived, and with an overzealous smile, beamed, "Hiya guys. Did you two clean them out or did you leave something behind?"

"Yeah," The Doctor-in-the-thief's-body snickered, glancing between the trays each man held, "Crumbs."

Taking one of the empty seats, Kiryk appeared unsure as he set his loaded table on the table, "I'll admit I haven't seen such abundance in—well, a long time."

"Yeah," Ronon dropped into an empty chair beside Kiryk, across from Jennifer; as he too was having trouble looking away, "It takes a while to get used to things around here."

Taking in the odd look on her face and the shredded hunks of bread littering her tray, Kiryk quirked a brow, "Is there something wrong with your food?"

"No, just," Jennifer paused, picking up one of the crust pieces and then popping it into her mouth, "Nerves, I guess."

"Hey," Ronon caught her attention with a low rumble of his voice. Their eyes sought each other's across the table, locking together like a vise, "It's gonna be okay. You're home now."

"He's right," Kiryk acknowledged, picking up and turning over his sandwich swathed in plastic wrap, not sure how to get passed it to the bread inside, "Things will work out. Your body is here, we have the address to return to the planet where the device was found, and I'm assuming your people will help us in putting it all back to right."

"Damn skippy we will," Laura affirmed with conviction, "I bet you'll be glad to be back in your own head."

"_Yes_," Jennifer exclaimed fervently, leaning forward to assist Kiryk in freeing his sandwich and in doing so, knocked her knee into Ronon's under the table. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck once again, and a snuck look up at him from under the hair that had fallen over her face, she found him grinning slyly, "I'll be so glad to be me again. Sleep in my own bed, take a shower, brush my hair."

"Yeah," Laura drawled teasingly, happy to have her best friend back at her side once again, "You do kind of stink."

Chuckling, Jennifer shook her head, "Shut up."

Laughter from all four parties followed that, and then there were long moments where no one said anything at all; each of them distracting themselves with their individual lunches. With the continuous, discreet glances at Ronon (and sensing that they were being returned), her best friend beside her, occasionally knocking an arm against hers simply to prove she was still sitting there, and her sage guardian in Kiryk across from her; Jennifer felt more grounded than she had in a very long time.

----

"Rodney. There you are," John found Rodney on the usually deserted north pier. He was standing away from the open ledge, leaning against the wall and studying his tablet, "I thought you'd be in your lab," Coming to a halt beside the slumping scientist, John shaded his eyes from the noon sun as he looked outward over the ocean, "What're you doing out here? Working on your sunburn?"

"John," Rodney muttered exasperatedly, "No, because I don't enjoy turning the color of a tomato or a lobster or whatever red-hued object you decide to substitute," He stabbed at the tablet's face almost violently, "What do you want John? I know that it isn't time to _reconvene_ yet. I set the timer on my watch."

"Wow," John remarked, rubbing at his chin before tucking his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels, "Who swapped your coffee cream for non-dairy, stick-up-your-ass creamers?"

"_Working_," McKay enunciated strongly, "Look, do you have a point, or are you just out here to poke at me?"

"I'm not here to poke at you," He disputed lightly, getting a chuckle out of Rodney's phrasing, "I'm here because you busted out of the conference room like you were being chased by some kind of giant citrus fruit."

"I'm fine," The scientist insisted, poking harshly at the tablet's screen.

Rolling his eyes, John replied, "Uh huh. If you were fine you wouldn't be staring at that tablet like you're debating on tossing it in the ocean," There was no response to this, and John was beginning to get annoyed, "C'mon Rodney, I think you're taking this a little too personally," Frowning, John shook his head; pulling a hand from his pocket to gesture animatedly with, "It wasn't _your_ body that was snatched. Don't you think you're being a little overdramatic here?"

"_Overdramatic_ John? You heard Cadman and Lorne. The basis for their assumption—that turned out to be true—that Jen-Doctor Keller has been acting strange was because of her attentions to me!" The scientist expounded, thumping his hand against the stone pillar next to him for emphasis, then immediately withdrawing the now throbbing hand with a wince, "Not to mention her kneejerk reaction to any kind of attachment to me."

"Rodney, you can't put this on Doc. She's," He couldn't stop himself, he just couldn't, "She's not herself," Rodney rolled his eyes, still cradling the hand he'd cracked and John continued in a tone that bordered on scolding, "The woman hasn't been in, let alone seen her own _body_ for _two months_ Rodney. Why the hell wouldn't she want to know what some stranger has been doing with it?"

"Yeah," Rodney grumbled his response to that, "I _know_ that John. I'm not completely inept here."

"Give her some time," John suggested, clapping the scientist on the shoulder, "Let her re-acclimatize. Then, maybe Doc might be interested in," John paused, uncomfortable with discussing the potential love life of their recently returned CMO, "Something. You never know. And maybe you'll even start to grow up a little," The last sentence was added with a frustrated, under the breath quality, and John was fairly certain that Rodney hadn't caught his disparaging remark, as the scientist was wrapped in his own somewhat selfish world.

Rodney shrugged off the hand Sheppard had laid on his shoulder, "I _do_ know that there's no kind of awkwardness between Doctor Keller and Lorne and Cadman and Ronon."

"Okay, well yeah," John grabbed for the words out of the air, "But Lorne, Cadman, Ronon, and Doc have been close for a while. And none of _them_ were _dating_ her double."

McKay's reply was another intelligible grumble.

-----

"Are you always this quiet?"

Evan rubbed at his forehead, keeping one eye trained on his watch, the other on his _charge_. Perhaps if he stared hard enough at the hands on his watch, he could _will_ the time to move faster. That would be a good ability to have during a post-op briefing or one of McKay's/Zelenka's rambles of technobabble.

"Hellooo," She drew out the vowels, placing special emphasis on the _o_, and leaning back on the barrack bed she sat on; crossed one of Jennifer's slender legs over the other, "You do talk, right? Because I seem to remember that you do. So, why so stiff now _Evan_? Am I not worthy of your attention now that you've discovered my little secret?"

"Little secret?" Evan barked out, irate, "You _stole_ my friend's _body_, you pretended to be her. I don't give a damn about your reasoning; I don't care why you did it. The point is that _you stole her body_. _You_ are the reason she's been through hell and the reason she disappeared for _two months_. That's no little secret. What you did; that's one hell of a lie in my book."

The imposter in Jennifer didn't speak; curling back at his ire. Then, seeming to make up her mind about something, she stood gracefully. The thin streams of light floating into the room from the oblong windows streaked across Jennifer's figure as Neeva crossed the barracks to the spot where Evan stood, a few meters from the door.

When she stepped close to him, Evan immediately tensed. It was Jennifer's body, nearly pressed against him; her face contorted into a seductive expression; her eyes raking over him. But it wasn't her behind it. There was no doubt for him; the woman before him was not his friend, not Jennifer Keller. He only wished he'd been able to notice, to rectify the mess sooner.

"If Jennifer is so important to you," Neeva drew one of Jennifer's fingers part-way down Evan's chest before he shoved the hand away, "Why are you here with _me_, instead of with _her_?"

Evan took a large step back, circling around the imposter so he still blocked her way to the exit, but had stepped out of her reach, "Somebody's got to make sure you don't run off with her body."

"Where am I gonna go, with all you military types lurking around here?" Neeva huffed dejectedly, seeing the seduction angle was not working in her favor, "I've been here for two months, and I haven't gone anywhere. What makes you think I would now?"

"Because you've been caught, and now you're looking for any out you can get your stolen hands onto," His gaze pierced right through her as he stood with arms crossed and feet planted; a green BDU clad sentinel, "You'll do anything to save your own skin. Even if it means finishing out your life in someone else's."

Neeva remained silent at that. She'd come against a brick wall, a feeling she was sure to repeat when it came to these people. What was so wonderful, so endearing about the little blonde doctor that they'd adopted her? Why did they regard her so highly? What made _Jennifer _special? Was it simply because she was one of them, or was there something more, something added?

Hugging Jennifer's arms to her middle, standing alone in the middle of the room; right then she appeared vulnerable and open to the elements. It occurred to Evan that this may be the closest glimpse they had been afforded of the woman who had secretly been amongst them for the past months, but he wouldn't be swayed. Not when he stared into the face of the woman he thought of like one of his little sisters and couldn't see her staring back.

"What're you gonna do with me after you have your Jennifer back? You gonna let me go?"

"That's not up to me," Evan replied curtly, "Although I do know that it'll go easier for you if you help us."

"Help you?" The thief gave a snide snort, "Say I help you. Say you get your precious _Doc_ back in one pretty little piece. What happens to me then?"

"We _will_ get Jen back," Evan corrected staunchly, "And as for you?" The Major shrugged, as he appeared not to care either way, "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"


	7. Explanations: Part Two

**Chapter Seven: **Explanations: Part II

**Author's Notes: **This was partially inspired by the spoilered storyline for _Identity _(and the speculation around it on the Doctor and the Wildman thread on Gateworld), so parts may resemble that. I have not seen the episode, although I have seen pictures and read parts of the transcript.

The italics are the present tense (and are in third person POV). The normal text is Jennifer talking (and so they are in first person POV). Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :)

----

_At the end of the prescribed half hour, the group trickled back into the conference room. Woolsey was already waiting when Evan escorted Neeva back into the room. John and Teyla followed; Jennifer, Ronon, Kiryk, and Laura entered soon after. Rodney was the last to return and did not pause to look about the room as he headed straight for his original seat; as they'd all returned to the chairs they'd left. Squirming slightly in her chair as everyone's attention had returned to her, Jennifer straightened her shoulders and began again,_

"_They kept me in that cell for about a week, maybe a day or so more, until their," Here she swallowed hard, shuddering. Obvious distress played out over her features, and sent anxiety coursing through the rest who surrounded the table. Exhaling all the air from her lungs in one steady stream, she then pressed on, "Until their executioner returned from another village."_

There wasn't much light in the cell, or in the room outside of it, so after the first couple of days, I stopped trying to guess what time of day it was. But I could still tell; it was morning when they came to get me. The sunlight was harsh and bright when I stepped out of the jail. They tied my hands together in front of me, and then I saw their leader again. Everyone I'd seen referred to him as the _Magistrate_. He planted hands on ample hips and stared at me with a sneer,

"It's time."

I was sandwiched between two men; one silent with a hood covering his head, and the other who I had seen before, bringing food into me a couple times a day. They led me through the forest by the hold each of them had on my arms. I was too scared to do anything more than stumble over any branch, root, or rock I came into contact with.

"Quit draggin' yer feet," One of them ordered roughly, "It ain't gonna save you."

That only made me freeze even tighter, and I could barely stand. The first man, the one who'd spoken before, gripped my arm tighter and shook me, "Pick yer damn feet up!"

My voice was shaking, and I could only speak in short, halted gasps, "Wh-why are you doing this? Where are you taking me?"

He sneered too, "A good place for the likes of you."

"Oh god, oh god," I muttered, not making the effort to continue the trudge through the woods. If we were headed into the woods for what I thought we were; I wasn't going to be helpful.

It wasn't long before we came to a small clearing in the forest. In the middle of it, was a hacked off stump, and my heart was in my throat the second I realized why it had such a place of purpose.

"No," I dug my heels into the ground, trying to gain some kind of footing in the soft mud, "No. You can't do this."

"Oh, really now?" One of the men who shadowed the Magistrate turned back from his coveted place at the Magistrate's right, with a glare that went right through me, "I think we can."

I was shaking hard enough for my teeth to rattle in my head when they drug me further into the clearing and shoved me to the ground beside the stump. My knees ached from landing against the gnarled roots of the stump that poked through the ground. Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to look up, and then regretted making the effort. Because if I hadn't; I wouldn't have seen him emerge from the other side of the clearing. He was a huge man; dressed in black, with even a dark cloth mask over his face. Ragged holes were cut in it for his mouth, nose, and eyes; and in his gloved hand he carried a long-handled axe, with a blade that actually reflected the bloody sunlight.

"_It was so much like a scene from a movie that if I hadn't of been sure that I was going to die, I would have laughed," Tears were creeping up on her, as her eyes glistened and her gaze was turned to the table top. Her voice faded and she gnawed at her bottom lip, "I was terrified." _

_John had gotten to his feet part way through her description, unable to remain seated any longer; and instead settled for claustrophobic pacing in the midsized, oddly shaped room. Teyla's stomach had begun to churn. _

_Only the draw to stay beside her kept Ronon seated. His jaw was gritted, his fists were clenched; his entire body was practically vibrating with rage. She'd been kidnapped, swapped, imprisoned, and now they tried to kill her? A small, callused hand lay on his wrist and hauling in a deep breath; he managed to quash enough anger back to remain seated and refrain from smashing or shooting something. The only thing keeping him in place, besides her touch, was the fact that she was actually there and able to give it. _

"_They tried to behead me," She said hauntingly, and then her fear turned to anger, "Or rather," She turned flashing, incensed eyes on the thief who occupied her body, "They tried to cut off _your_ head. With _me_ in it!"_

_Neeva had the decency to look remorseful, "That wasn't supposed to happen. Us getting stuck, you getting captured, it wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to think it was some weird dream; I-I-I had a plan, a time limit. It was supposed to work."_

"_Obviously there was a flaw," John quipped, his voice tightly wound steel. Seated in front of him, Teyla was employing a regimented breathing technique to control the anger building within her. Laura was inches away from exploding; Evan's hands had lost all color from gripping the arms of his chair; Rodney gnawed at the inside of his mouth, one of his knees quivering under the table. Kiryk, having heard the story before, didn't doubt that it caused just as much grief to relate it again, and felt the familiar twist in his abdomen. _

"_Do you need a moment?" Woolsey asked carefully, his concern evident in his voice. _

"_No, no," Jennifer dissuaded after a moment, "I want to get this done. I—I want it to be over." _

_Kiryk's hand landed gently on her shoulder and she turned a near-tearful face to him. Their eyes connected, and a few tears slid from her eyes. Projecting encouragement with a simple look and touch; the bond between the two evident as Kiryk clearly, silently, asked her to continue. _

"_Whenever you feel you are able," Teyla offered quietly, the intuitive woman offering her support with expressive eyes. _

_Instead of answering, out of the corner of her eye from across the table, Jennifer saw Neeva lean forward and lift her elbow to the table top. Sighing miserably in a low, almost whispered tone, Neeva squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her fingers to her temples._

"_Are you alright?" Jennifer found herself asking, reaching out to touch the arm that rested on the table. It was strange; to reach out to her own body, to see her body in discomfort. Even if there was another consciousness inhabiting it. It was the doctor in her that had her reaching out to the other woman; amateur body-snatcher or not._

_Jennifer's attention to her had called the attention of the other; and Neeva hurried to cover. Despite her occupation, despite the reasoning behind the fact that she was sitting in a roomful of people she'd been hiding among for two months, in a body that didn't belong to her; she was still a woman in her own right. And the secret she kept now was one that she couldn't disclose to its rightful owner in such mixed company. The woman deserved that much. Neeva would have to carve out a moment in private to tell her. But for now, "Yeah, I just haven't had much to eat today."_

"_Hmm," Jennifer mumbled, and then looked over to McKay, knowing a way to fix such a problem, "Rodney, would you give her one of the power bars you have in your pocket?"_

_The mood in the room shifted, as Rodney immediately rooted through his breast pocket while a puzzled John had to ask, "How did you know he'd have power bars in his pocket?"_

"_Here it is!" Rodney announced, fishing a power bar from his pocket. Extending it across Laura seated beside him, he offered it to Neeva, "Uh, here, you go."_

_Sighing heavily, Neeva opened her eyes and lowered her hand from where she had been rubbing at her forehead, "Thank you," She mumbled, accepting the offered ration. _

"_How did I know Rodney had food on him?" Jennifer shook her head at John, her expression conveying that she hadn't thought he'd need to ask, "I'm a doctor John. I know how to keep patients with low blood sugar, or those who think they have low blood sugar, prepared in case of such an event."_

"_Ah," John concurred with a grin, "What was I thinking. Of course." _

"_How did you escape from the villagers?" Woolsey inquired, trying to bring the briefing back around on track. Jennifer opened her mouth to answer Mr. Woolsey's question, but a gruffly spoken question from Ronon stopped her, and set her in another direction,_

"_When they kept you in that cell," Ronon began, looking only to Jennifer, "Did they—did they treat you well? You weren't, they didn't," He trailed off, but Jennifer could see the wheels turning in his head, and immediately set out to put a stop to them,_

"_I was left alone for most of the time," Atop the table, Jennifer's borrowed hand still lay over his wrist, and she tightened her grip, "I saw someone maybe twice a day, when they brought me something to eat. They asked me questions at first, wanted me to tell them where the other two were, but after they figured out I didn't have anything that I could tell them; for the bulk of the time, I was on my own." _

_He breathed a tiny sigh of relief, feeling a fraction of tension relieved at her assurances. Still, much of it lingered, and a dip of his head encouraged her to continue with her explanations. _

"No, please," I pleaded breathlessly, "You don't know what you're doing. Please, don't do this."

But I was ignored, and instead, the Magistrate pulled a rolled-up piece of paper from inside his coat, and began to read from it, "Neeva Casol, you are guilty of such crimes deemed to be heinous in nature; herein laid out to include…"

That was a far as he got, because suddenly the _man in black_ dropped to the ground like a rock. He crumpled a few paces from me, and standing behind where he had been standing was Bordal; a stout piece of a log held aloft.

It all started to go so fast. Suddenly, the silent hooded man who had led me through the forest launched himself at the two dumbfounded and unsuspecting men near him; rendering them unconscious, and knocking their heads together for a finishing touch. The hood swept off his head as he moved, and Jannick's eyes gleamed as the two fell and Bordal knocked down another.

There were two left; the Magistrate and his shadow. I still knelt by the stump, and I saw the shadow-goon reach for the belt slung low over his hips and whatever was hidden behind his long coat. I didn't think about it; just moved as I fell onto my back and slammed my heel into the side of his knee, then swept his feet out from under him with my leg. He went down, and I rolled away, scrambling to get to my feet.

The Magistrate's eyes were darting around; from Bordal standing between the oversized_ man in black_ and another burly type who lay sprawled on the ground, to me crouched by the stump, to Jannick who, with a frightening smirk, pulled the knife from his boot and began to advance on him.

"You feelin' alright there Magistrate?" Jannick asked with obviously fake concern, still advancing with his knife drawn, "You're lookin' a mite pale."

Jannick stopped a few steps from the Magistrate who'd gone white and broken out into a sweat. A distinctive, deliberate snap from behind him caused the Magistrate to look away from Jannick and spin around. He found a smiling Bordal a step behind him, "Boo."

With a scream, the Magistrate set off for the forest at a dead run, and once he cleared the line of trees at the edge of the clearing, both Bordal and Jannick burst out laughing, "Boo," Jannick chuckled, "Classic."

He then turned towards me, and sobered almost instantly. I was still cowering beside the stump, and was once again frozen in place. Jannick's hand was still wrapped around the hilt of his blade as he approached, and he couldn't have missed the growing fear in my face, "Easy now. I ain't gonna cut you."

Trembling, my knees shook as I tried to stand; but my legs refused to straighten. Jannick stopped to stand directly in front of me, and bending down, he pulled my arms out from where I had them tucked as best I could to my sides. He then made quick work of sawing through the rope binding my wrists.

"C'mon," Bordal urged as I rubbed my now-freed, examining the marks the rope had left, "We gotta get moving before that old tub comes back with half the damn village," It didn't take him more than a few strides, and he was behind me; hoisting me to my feet by hands under my armpits, "We gotta get movin'."

"The caves ain't far from here," Jannick tucked his knife back into his boot and hiked his chin at the woods. Standing, he decided, "We can wait it out up there for a couple of days."

"_It ended up being eight days," Jennifer informed them dryly, "Eight long days of being cooped up in a cave with Jannick and Bordal, until the villagers caught up with us. We ended up cornered; with no way back to the village or the caves. They decided that it would be better if we left through the gate, and then went back, in the middle of the night, when things had calmed down and we could sneak back into the village without the villagers catching us."_

"_But you didn't make it back to the village after that," John observed, now leaning behind Teyla with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. _

"_No," Jennifer rubbed at her temples, rolled the balled muscles in her borrowed shoulders and sighed heavily, "No, we never made it back to the village. More caves on the new planet, for nearly a week and a half."_

"_Those two seem fond of caves," Evan remarked, trying to infuse a tiny bit of humor into the situation, and lighten the horribly tense situation, "They sleep hangin' upside down or something?" Truthfully, he just wanted to see her crack a grin. _

_His efforts were rewarded with a short snicker, "I probably couldn't have been more befuddled even if they had."_

"_Could be because caves and underground tunnels can throw off sensors and scanners," Rodney theorized, "There could have been some kind of magnetic charge that scrambles the signal, or just the rock face can sometimes make it hard for scanners to pick up signals."_

"_Basically," Neeva agreed under her breath. She wouldn't chance speaking louder. Then all their attention would be angrily focused on her again, and that she didn't want. _

_Jennifer nodded, ignoring the fact that Neeva had made a sound. Kiryk's hand no longer rested on her shoulder, but oddly his steady gaze had a calming effect on her. Ronon methodically drummed one finger on the tabletop, Jennifer's hand still resting on his wrist; that one touch keeping him seated and mildly contained. _

_It wasn't hard for Woolsey to see the exponential amount of tension saturating the room. Taking a deep breath, Atlantis' CO held it for a few beats before releasing it in one, continuous stream, and saying decidedly, "Why don't we leave it there for tonight? We'll pick this back up in the morning."_


	8. A Night in My Own Bed

**Chapter Eight**: _A Night in My Own Bed_

**Author's Notes: **Well, here is chapter eight. Hope you like it :p

---

The gate _swooshed _closed, and descending the ramp was Carson Beckett; his face weary and his pack drooping from where it was slung over one arm.

"Carson," Rodney removed his hands from his pockets as he greeted the returning doctor, "How-how are things on 997?"

"Cold," Carson replied, letting his pack slide from his arm and fall to the floor with a low _thump_. Tugging at the zipper of the parka he wore; complete with faux-fur rimmed hood, he shrugged the heavy garment from his shoulders, " 'ello Rodney. Didn't expect you ta be the greeting party."

"Ah, yes well; I figured I might as well, seeing as to how you've been gone so long and all," Rodney rocked back on his heels, and Carson didn't believe a word of it.

"What're ya up to Rodney?" He asked, letting the parka fall to land on top of his pack on the gate room floor, "Did ya do something, or do ya think you've got some kind of crazy space virus, and Jennifer's tol' you it twas nothing?"

At the name _Jennifer_, an uncomfortable, disconcerting look fell over McKay's face, and Carson was beginning to see there was an actually problem, "Rodney? What's going on?"

"A lot's happened while you've been away," Rodney answered cryptically, and Carson glared, saying with a warning tone,

"_Rodney_."

"I've got one hell of a story to tell you," Was Rodney's reply as Carson bent to pick up his bag and coat, "You got important medical things to do?"

"No," Carson shouldered the pack's strap once again. The MD had been planning on showering, eating, and sleeping; in that order, leaving the unpacking and meeting with Woolsey until the next day. But those plans were clearly null and void now, "Let me stow my things and get cleaned up, an' I'll meet you in the mess hall for a bite and you can explain the goings-on from around here."

Rodney nodded, and then was shaking his head, "No, mess hall's too public. I'll grab us something and-"

"Rodney, the mess hall's near deserted this time of night. It'll be fine," Carson assured his jumpy friend, draping his coat over his arm, "I'll meet you in half an hour. That satisfactory for you?"

Begrudgingly, Rodney grumbled his agreement and then departed; leaving Carson to wonder just what had occurred while he'd been away.

----

"Hey Jen," Evan found her outside of her room; alone and staring at her closed door, "What's wrong? Your door stuck? Jen?" He edged closer as his friend with the wrong face remained quiet, simply watching the closed door to her room. Laying a gentle hand on her borrowed shoulder, he asked, "You still in there?"

"Unfortunately," She mumbled, sighing and looking up at him.

"Your door stuck?"

"I haven't tried to open it."

"How come?" Evan joined her in watching the door, and Jennifer chewed at her bottom lip,

"Not ready yet," She answered cryptically. He pursed his lips into a thin line, not saying anything. Instead, the two of them stood, his hand on her shoulder, watching the closed door in silence.

"Jen," Moments punctuated by the ticking of his watch passed before Evan spoke again. Rolling his thumb over the collar bone of her borrowed body to bring her attention back around, he asked softly, "What's going on in your head? I thought you wanted to take a shower and sleep in your own bed?"

"I did. I _do_," She stumbled to correct and explain, "I jus—I just—"

"Just what?" He said patiently.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes for a second and set her jaw before raising a small, callused hand to pass over the sensor to open the door, "I'm just a little hesitant, is all. Things are coming together, and it's—it's kind of overwhelming."

"But they are coming together. It's going to work out," Evan assured her, following behind her, his hands tucked into his pockets, as she entered her room.

"You can't promise that though, can you Evan?" Jennifer asked glumly, more to Neeva's reflection as she stared into the mirror hanging on the wall than to him.

"No," He admitted slowly, "Around here especially, I try to avoid making promises," Leaning against the wall just inside the now closed door, Evan crossed his arms over his chest and sighed; watching as Jennifer wandered through her room, pausing to touch everything, "But, let's think about it for a second. Things are starting to look up. You're back on Atlantis; you're back in your room. Those are good points."

"Yeah," She agreed quietly, trailing her fingertips along the edge of her desk before coming to a framed picture set up in one of the desk's far corners.

"And this Neeva—person. She obviously didn't intend to be you forever. You said it yourself," he pointed out, gesturing towards her, "Those two goons were supposed to put everybody back where they belonged. Clearly, their plan was riddled with holes, and it _clearly_ was a wash, but that at least says that the re-rearranging _can_ be done, right?"

Jennifer nodded, holding the plastic-molded-to-look-like-wood picture frame between both hands and staring lovingly at the photograph. It showed her (the real, blonde haired, hazel eyed her), standing with her father on the day she'd graduated from med school. Evan knew her mind was racing, knew her emotions were close to the surface, and so he remained quiet until she was ready to speak again. Swallowing deftly, Jennifer returned the frame to the desk's corner and looked Evan straight in the eye, "This Neeva—person. You think she's trustworthy?"

"Not as far as you could throw her," Evan replied promptly, bluntly, "But I _do_ think she'd rather be her than you."

"At least we're in agreement about that," Jennifer exhaled heavily, tapping her knuckles against the desk, not looking convinced.

"Okay Jen, look. You know me and platitudes. I don't do them," Evan ducked his head to catch Jennifer's downcast gaze, "So believe when I tell you that this is whole mind-boggling, body-swapping _mess_ will get worked out. There's probably all kinds of different twists and cul-de-sacs going on there; but we'll get through it," He placed a hand again on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring rub, "You will. I'll help, we all will. Okay?"

Near tears once again, she nodded, peering at her friend from behind a veil of borrowed brunette hair and blurred green eyes, "Okay."

"Good," He offered her a smile, and then changed the subject, wanting her tears to go away, "So. What's the deal with this Kiryk? He's the same Runner that snatched you that time when both Ronon and McKay escorted you off-world, right?"

Jennifer rolled her eyes, used to his teasing about her horrible off-world luck; how her missions usually resulted in her being alone and kidnapped in the woods; but her expression lightened, "Yeah. He's the one."

"Where'd you meet up with him again?" Evan asked curiously.

"Well, I," A grin budding, Jennifer shook her head, "Oh no. You're not getting me to tell you the story ahead of the others. You're just gonna have to wait and hear tomorrow with everybody else."

"Rats," The Major muttered with a smile, snapping his fingers, "You sure?"

"Ye-ap," The doctor-in-the-thief chuckled, "You can wait and hear it with the rest of them. Tomorrow."

"Fine," Evan pulled a face, not at all disappointed his wheedling hasn't worked, "But speaking of Kiryk; where is he anyway?"

"John said he would show Kiryk to the mess hall and then to his room," Jennifer rattled off, "With an escort," She'd arrived at her dresser now in her wanderings and was rearranging her belongings on top of it.

"Yeah, I saw Sheppard dragging Ronon along behind him," Evan mentioned causally, comfortably sitting backwards in her desk chair, with his arms resting atop of the chair's back, "Which, I'm surprised he managed, considering the promise of mutiny on the Big Guy's face."

"Mutiny?" She narrowed her eyes at him in the mirror hanging over her dresser, "What'd you mean?"

The Major shrugged, his next comments seeming off-handed, "I'm just surprised that Sheppard managed to get Ronon to let you out of his sight, is all."

Her borrowed face blushed, and she ducked borrowed eyes from the mirror, "I don't know what you're talking about Ev."

Chortling, Evan knitted his fingers together, "Yeah-okay. You realize that had you not of been holding onto his arm back there, something or someone would be sportin' a couple of new holes right about now?"

The blush grew warmer and brighter, and so did Evan's grin, "Ha!" He pronounced smugly, "You can't tell me you're just friends, can you?"

Her face red, Jennifer shot back in a sickly sweet tone, "You mean like you and Laura are just friends?"

"Hey!" Evan quickly protested, waggling a finger at her, "Not the same thing."

"Oh really?" She drawled, drawing out the _l_'s, "How's that?"

"I-uh-okay, for one, Lau-Cadman and I," He stuttered, his cheeks puffing out as he inhaled and held in a deep breath. Exhaling it exasperatedly, Evan sputtered, "I am her CO, technically."

"Okay," Jennifer conceded, "That makes things kind of hinky."

"A little," Evan agreed with a shake of his head.

"Y'know, there's got to be a way around that," Jennifer mused, murmuring as she tapped a handful of fingertips against her chin.

"Oh, ho ho," Swinging his led around the chair, Evan stood; gesturing for a pause with an open palm, "One plot twist at a time my friend. One at a time."

"What?" She grinned brightly, too brightly, at him.

Evan narrowed his eyes at his friend in the mis-matched body as he took a step nearer her, "No plotting," His expression turned wheedling and his hands waved almost frenetically when her expression showed no signs of changing, "Please? Just focus on getting all of this back together first?"

"I can multitask," Jennifer giggled at his near-panicked expression, "Relax Evan. Everything will be fine."

-----

"Colonel Sheppard."

John looked up from his office desk blotter as Woolsey entered his crowded office. A raised eyebrow his only facial expression; Woolsey glanced around the room, taking in the multiple, teetering piles of paperwork strewn on most of the available flat surfaces in the room, "Building a fort?"

"Yeah, got the east wing just about complete," John joked tiredly, "What's up Woolsey? Something you need?"

"Perhaps," Woolsey fairly sank into the only other available chair in the room; across the desk from John, and sighed, "What do you make of our situation?"

"I'm guessing you mean Doc not really being the Doc, and instead being somebody else. And that our Doc's been missing for the past two months; dodging vengeful villagers with pitchforks and hiding in caves?" John finished with a flourish, most of his attention seeming to be focused on the model of a fighter plane he had displayed on his desk.

"I think that very nearly sums it up," Woolsey acknowledged, moving his glasses from his face to rub at his eyes.

"It's a particularly puzzling," John paused, searching for the word, "Puzzle."

The raised eyebrow again, Woolsey slid his glasses back up his nose, "Eloquently put Colonel Sheppard."

-----

Teyla had gone looking for Ronon.

She'd checked the mess hall; where she'd seen Rodney with the newly returned Doctor Beckett, but no Ronon. She'd radioed John, who hadn't seen Ronon since he'd dragged the Satedan off with him and Kiryk after the briefing broke for the evening.

She'd checked what many in the city colloquially referred to as the _track_; a stretch around the city that many took to jogging and the like around, but he hadn't been there either. Instead, she found him in the gym; where he was wailing on a punching bag in a shadowed corner.

"Ronon," He didn't look up, didn't acknowledge her presence or approach, choosing to continue his relentless attack of the punching bag. Teyla supposed they should be thankful it was a punching bag, and not some unsuspecting Marine being drawn in to sparring practice, "Ronon," She called again; louder, sharper, before Teyla finally placed a hand on his clenched arm, "Ronon."

"What?" His tone brisk, he was breathing hard, the look in his eyes wide as he looked down at her.

"It is obvious that you are taking Doctor Keller's situation quite hard," Her hand remained on his forearm until he turned away to grab his water bottle, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Ronon replied simply, chugging back half of the contents of the foot tall water bottle at once.

"Really?" Teyla raised a delicate brow, obvious that she didn't believe him, and pointed out blandly, "Your knuckles are bleeding."

Ronon looked down at his hands to find she was telling the truth. His unwrapped knuckles were broken and bruised; blood seeping from a few of the cuts. Switching the water bottle between hands, he flexed one, then the other, "It's not too bad. Couple of scratches, at most."

Teyla eyed him carefully, disbelievingly, "You were too distracted thinking about Jennifer and what is happening to her that you neglected to wrap your hands before you began."

Frustrated, Ronon forcefully chucked the water bottle into his bag of belongings, "What do you want me to day Teyla? That I'm not angry? That I don't want to find that bastard Magistrate, and—" He clenched his battered right hand into a fist and growled low in his throat, "How the hell am I supposed to react?"

"I am not saying that your reaction or your feelings are wrong Ronon," She disputed, and Ronon glowered at her. Unfazed by his glaring, she continued, "I am here because I wanted to see if you wanted to talk."

He took a dreadlock from either side of his head, from just below each of his ears and tied them together at the back of his head, " 'Bout what?"

Right there. In that moment, she wanted to shake him.


	9. Explanations: Part Three

**Chapter Nine**: _Explanations: Part III_

**Author's Notes: **Okay, at first this chapter was supposed to be the one to finish up the explanations of Jen's time on the run, but it seems that the characters have hijacked this chapter and run off with it. Once they got started, I couldn't shut them up. They've added a couple extra bits to my outline whilst I wasn't looking. So here it is, _one _of the last of the _Explanations. _

Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I habitually check my inbox for them! : )

----

"_Morning Doc," John greeted warmly as Jennifer entered the conference room that morning. He was already seated in the same chair he'd occupied the day before; leaning back in his chair, his hands knitted loosely and resting on his stomach, "Sleep well?"_

"_Morning. It was alright," Jennifer crossed the carafe of coffee set up in one corner of the room and poured herself a cup, "It was great spending the night in my own bed again, but I don't think I'll sleep the same until all of this gets sorted out and I'm back in my own head again."_

"_Makes sense," John nodded, seeming to understand, "Well, it won't be long now before we get all this all straightened away."_

"_I hope you're right," She murmured quietly, holding the mug to her lips and deeply inhaling the aroma of the brewed beans. She took a sip, savoring the taste, "You know; I missed this while I was gone."_

"_It's the little things," John quipped, as Teyla and Ronon entered the room; leading Neeva in between them. They were followed not far behind by McKay. Soon others joined them; Evan and Laura bringing Kiryk along with them. Greetings were traded around the conference table, until a door; opposite the one the rest had used to enter the room, opened and depleted-looking Woolsey entered and headed straight for the coffee,_

"_Good morning everyone," He addressed the group, as he poured himself a cup of the fresh coffee; stirring in a spoonful of sweetener after a taste test found the brew too bitter. The look on his face after the second sip declared the taste to be improved, and he spoke again, "I've asked Doctor Beckett, who returned from P3X-997 last night to join us this morning. It should just be a few minutes more until he arrives."_

"_I'm here," Carson's voice announced from the doorway, "I'm here, no need to go postponing anythin' for me," As he passed by Jennifer's chair on his way across the conference room, he stopped momentarily to place a reassuring hand on her borrowed shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze, "It's good to have ya back lass."_

"_Thank you Carson," Jennifer leaned her head back to smile at Carson, lightly patting Carson's hand on her shoulder. The elder doctor nodded, and with a final squeeze to her shoulder, made his way to the only empty seat left in the room; the one wedged in between McKay and Woolsey. _

"_All right then," Woolsey too, took his seat and set his mug on the table, "Let's get started," Nodding in Jennifer's direction, he indicated, "Whenever you're ready Doctor Keller."_

It was about a week and a half on the new planet. We stuck mostly to the caves; got water from a stream not far away, gathered firewood close to the caves, same with gathering food. The two of them had a couple rations packs, but they went fast, and they resorted to gathering different vegetation and hunted in the woods around. Small game mostly; something that looked like a rabbit.

In the beginning, one of them was always with me. If Bordal left the cave to go hunting, then Jannick was sitting across the cave from me, cleaning his fingernails with his knife. I'm fairly certain he stabbed himself in the fingertip a time or two. It took about the whole week and a half before they would trust me enough to leave me in the cave unattended. And so, I bided my time.

The first time they left me alone in the cave, I stayed put. The second and third time too. I think they started to trust me, started to fall off their game. Maybe they even started to relax. So when they left me alone in the cave to go to the stream one day at dusk, I made my move.

I slipped out of the cave, and snuck around behind it. I'd been out of the cave enough in the past few days. I knew the way back to the gate, and I remembered enough to stick to areas where there was cover, places where I could hide and stay out of sight.

I managed to make it back to the gate. But when I got there; a group of Wraith were on their way through.

"_A group of Wraith?" Evan gave a low whistle; and Laura began picking nervously at her fingernails. _

"_Jeez Doc," John too, was shaking his head, "This just keeps getting better and better."_

"_Don't it though," Jennifer rubbed at the tightening muscles in her neck, "I wouldn't have be surprised if the Goa'uld or the Ori showed up." _

_Teyla looked puzzled, as did Ronon, Neeva, and Kiryk; and Woolsey explained, "The Goa'uld and the Ori are presences in the Milky Way Galaxy. Much like the Wraith in this galaxy."_

_"Yeah," Laura tossed in in a mutter, "But with less life-sucking and more false religion." _

_Teyla nodded, Neeva drummed Jennifer's fingertips on the table's top, Kiryk dipped his head once, and Ronon scrubbed as his chin; all of which Woolsey took as signs of understanding. Clearing his throat, he instructed, "Go ahead Doctor Keller."_

I knew I had to get away from the gate and find a place to hide, out of sight, where the Wraith wouldn't find me. I basically turned tail and fled from the sheltered spot in the clearing by the gate that I was squatted in.

I started through the woods again, foolishly hoping to make it to the caves and meet up with my former capturers; safety in numbers and all that. I was doing the best I could; trying not to go crashing through the trees and branches. But it seemed like every move that I made sent piercing snaps, crackles, and pops through the woods and little woodland creatures scurrying away in front of me.

And then I started hearing noises, movement, coming towards me. I panicked; I had no idea which way to run or where to hide. My heart was pounding in my ears and it hurt to breath; and then I saw this blind of trees. _Find cover_ was the only thought in my head, and I ran straight for it.

I saw steps away from diving behind the trees when I heard something coming again. I froze; I skidded to a stop, spun around once, and froze. My eyes were darting everywhere, but all I could see were trees. Things got blurry, and I couldn't breathe.

I didn't see the two arms that snaked out of the trees, not until they grabbed me from behind. The full-bodied shriek I would have let loose was muffled by the large hand that was clamped over my mouth. I felt myself being dragged through the tree branches and leaves; my clothes and hair catching and snagging. And then, suddenly, there was a person; big, broad, and warm pressed up behind me.

"Are you tryin' to get yourself killed?" A gruff, male voice demanded in a hiss, directly into my ear. I was stiff as a board; one of his tense arms at my waist, the other across my shoulders with a hand still covering my mouth. We watched two Wraith pass by through the spaces in between the branches. I shook, but he was steady, and we both stood noiselessly as they passed us by. And then his voice was at my ear again, "I'm gonna let you go. But you've gotta stay quiet. Understand?" I nodded tightly, and he peeled his hand away, "Okay, now shh."

"_Thanks for that; by the way," Trying to break the tense mood, Jennifer playfully tipped her elbow into Kiryk's arm, "Nearly scaring the pants off of me."_

"_No problem," The former Runner replied, completely straight faced, "There were a few Wraith who were using that planet as a kind of stop-over place," Kiryk elaborated, turning to the rest of the group, "I followed them through the Ring without their knowing and actually stumbled onto Jen."_

"_Saved my butt," The woman-in-the-wrong-body praised, patting the arm he had laid on the table, "I wouldn't have made it past that moment if he hadn't of shown up."_

"_The Wraith didn't know you were behind them?" John asked Kiryk, leaning forward and balancing his arms on the briefing room table._

"_No," Kiryk shook his head, "They didn't see me coming. I jumped through behind them just before the Ring shut down, and disappeared as soon as I was through. They didn't know I'd followed them."_

"_Why _were_ you following them anyway?" McKay asked curiously, he too, leaning forward. _

_Kiryk, and Ronon too, simply looked to the astrophysicist like he had gone insane; John shook his head and Teyla look too Rodney with an eyebrow arched. Even Woolsey and Carson appeared to think his question was pointless. _

"_Ah, yes, right," McKay rambled off, embarrassed, "Well then, go on," Woolsey had just opened his mouth to speak, and instead McKay had turned his questioning to Jennifer, interrupting with, "How did you expect to call home? I mean, the shield would have been up. Actually, the shield was up when you came through," His brow furrowed, and he began his snapping-his-fingers-while-thinking-thing, "I'm aware that you had no radio, no way to contact us. But then, how did you manage to transmit the access code without a GDO?"_

"_Ah, yes, I managed to do _that_," Jennifer reached down, removing and placing a hand holding a slim remote-shaped device on the table, "With this."_

"_A GDO?" Stunned, McKay reached forward and took the instrument to inspect it carefully, _"Where_ were you keeping that_,"_ He trailed off, pulling a face, and then asked, "How did you__?"_

"_I had a good teacher," Jennifer chuckled, "I found it in a pocket of the coat I was wearing when I first woke up. The SFs took it when I arrived. I'm guessing Neeva took it off John or you, Rodney, back on P2X-496."_

"_Shit," John grumbled from his spot at the end of the table, and he cranked himself around in his chair to look at Neeva-in-Jennifer, "_You_ were that old lady!"_

_The proud smile looked out of place on Jennifer's face, and as she spoke she looked nothing of the apology she extended, "Sorry about that. But, hey, it worked out in the end, didn't it?" _

"_Old lady?" Woolsey asked as he peered down the long briefing table at John, "Colonel?"_

"_What he thought to be an elderly woman in a cloak collided with Colonel Sheppard while we were waiting for Doctor Keller to finish with one of the town's people," Teyla supplied, while it was John's turn to duck his head a little, embarrassed, "Apparently she was not an elderly woman, nor did she stumble and fall, as Colonel Sheppard earlier surmised."_

"_Apparently," Woolsey replied with a bit of attitude, and John sighed, "And I have to ask, why, Colonel Sheppard, didn't you report your missing GDO?" _

"_I didn't know," John protested, "I didn't call in on the way home that time, and I turned my pack and my gear in at the end of the mission. No one said anything to me about any missing equipment."_

_Woolsey hauled in a weary, worn-down breath, and released it with two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Clearly he was having a moment; a moment where he was thinking of finding out exactly which person employed in the city had emptied and cataloged the returning teams' gear, and find out exactly why he hadn't been apprised when an essential piece of technology was missing and why it hadn't been reported as missing._

"_Mr. Woolsey?" Laura craned her neck to look at the CO with concern, "Sir, you alright?"_

"_You're looking a little pale there sir," Evan pointed out from the other side of Neeva. _

"_I'm fine," Woolsey grumbled, "Could you _please_ continue, Doctor Keller?"_

_Jennifer nodded, "Sure."_

We'd made it without the Wraith noticing that we were there, and we now stood behind those trees; breathing hard and staring at each other.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me, "This planet is supposed to be uninhabited."

But I wasn't listening; instead I was gaping at him, "Kiryk?"

He was instantly taken aback, and actually stepped back, "How do you my name?"

"Because I know _you_!" I exclaimed, and then quickly dropped my voice a few octaves so it was barely more than a whisper, "Look, I know this isn't going to make any sense, and I promise you, as soon as we're not ducking from Wraith, I'll explain everything I possibly can; but just—I—I'm," I sighed, could feel tears welling up behind my eyes again and I croaked out, "But I'm Doctor Jennifer Keller. We've met before."

"Really?" He glared down at me, "I think I would have remembered that."

"I shocked you, almost lost you," I insisted in a hiss, "Fried your Wraith tracking device. You were a Runner; you were taking care of a little girl that was the only survivor when _you_ led the Wraith there. You kidnapped me, made me go with you because Celise was hurt, and she needed a doctor. I was with two men; a scientist and another ex-Runner. Big guy. You two got into a fight. I _know _you. I've met _you_!"

It was his turn to gawk, "What—how do you—did you change your hair or somethin'?"

Relief didn't even begin to cover what I was feeling right then; and I visibly sagged, started breathing regularly, deeply again.

And then we heard a scream from deeper into the woods. And instantly, I knew who was screaming.

"Jannick," My voice was a panicked whisper, and I beat for the bushes only to be dragged back by a hand wrapped around my wrist,

"What are you doing?" He asked gruffly, using the hand he had around my wrist to pull me back in behind the trees.

But I wouldn't be deterred, and so I pulled back, "Come on, they need help. We have to help them."

"_We_?" Kiryk stared at me, still holding onto my arm.

"_We_ can't leave them with to the Wraith, _you_ know that," I hissed, snatching my arm back, "Please, come with me. I'll explain everything, just _help _me."

He acquiesced after a second or two of us staring at each other; my pleading with my eyes and his obvious skepticism written all over him. Finally, he nodded, and we took off.

The Wraith had found them. Jannick and Bordal had spotted the Wraith first, and had tried to run, but they hadn't managed to get far into the woods before the Wraith caught up. The two of them had gone back to the cave; found out I wasn't there, and had left the cave again in going to look for me.

Kiryk and I were creeping closer and closer; keeping to the trees and spots where we'd have cover. Element of surprise and all that. And then we heard the screaming again. Recognizing it, I took off running; Kiryk right beside me.

Coming up on the clearing, we could see the two of them. Bordal was trying to fend two Wraith off on his own, and when Kiryk quickly stepped in to give him a hand. Jannick was doing fairly well with the other one.

Then he lost his footing.

Jannick went down, falling backwards, and the Wraith was right on top of him. The Wraith let out a guttural screech, and was raising its feeding hand to slam it down on Jannick's chest. Jannick tried to scramble back, get away, but he was trapped, pinned down and there was no way for him to get out.

And that's when I saw it. There was a Wraith, fallen to the ground. His weapon was on the ground beside him. I didn't think about it, I just moved; reacted. I didn't even see what I'd done until it was over.

"_What did you do?" Evan asked; his eyes focused on his friend who appeared as if she wasn't sure how to react to or relate her next sentiment. _

_Seeing her hesitation_, _it was Kiryk, not Jennifer, who answered him, _

"_She stabbed it through the feeding hand."_

_All eyes were turned on Jennifer, whose borrowed face was set in an expression that most who knew her didn't recognize, "They might be amateur body-snatchers and thieves, but they are human beings, and I wasn't going to stand by and watch while they got turned into some kind of Wraith jerky." _

_McKay couldn't stop a shudder as it ran through his body, "I hate that stuff."_

"_Right," Shaking her head, Jennifer continued, "It was too preoccupied with getting a snack that it didn't even notice when I came up behind it," Her eyes flickered to Ronon, and then back and she surveyed the impressed reactions from those around the table._

_The pride shining through wore well on his face, and under the table, Ronon's fingers sought hers, "You did good," Finding her hand with his own , he wound his fingers through her borrowed ones, purposefully letting his thumb work small circles on the sensitive flesh at the inside of her wrist. _

_She nodded, ducking her head just a hair when a slight blush started creeping up her neck. _

_Woolsey sighed, knowing that he had to go and cut some technician off at the knees for not following protocols, once again pinching the bridge of his nose, "Why don't we take a few moments, and come back in say, half an hour?"_


	10. No One's Laughing

**Chapter Ten: **No One's Laughing

**Author's Notes: **Okay, here's the chapter that wasn't actually supposed to have had to be written. : ) I didn't expect to write it, but after _Explanations_ somehow extended itself, this one just had to happen.

-----

Jennifer and Kiryk sat together at a corner mess hall table; Jennifer leaning forward on the table top with her head resting in her hands. Kiryk sat diagonally across from her; watching her through appraising eyes, "What's goin' on in there, little one?"

"I'm okay," She pushed her finger through her on-loan brown hair, mumbling so he had to strain a little to hear and so he didn't believe a word,

"What's goin' on in there, little one?" He repeated blandly, drumming his own fingers on the mess hall tabletop.

"I'm just," She sighed, scratching her chipped and peeling fingernails against her scalp, "I'm thinking about everything I've had to say in there, and I'm slowly realizing that practically everything I've had to say is just so completely _not _me," Jennifer finished with a hand waving flourish, "And I walk out of there wondering if any of them are believing a word I'm saying or if they're all laughing about what a naïve, blundering moron I am. Always getting myself into these stupid, impossible, dangerous situations. Of course," She gulped at the lump in her throat and she let one hand flop on to the table, "I guess I should be grateful that they're waiting until I'm out of ear shot."

"Hey—hey now," Kiryk interrupted her disjointed ramblings, and laid a hand over top of hers on the table, "No one is laughin'. No one. And if anyone is, I'll beat' em."

Jennifer let out an unladylike snort and placed a hand on top of his, "Beat' em?"

"'Course little one," He expounded with a wicked grin, and then sobered, "You did what you had to do to survive. Don't doubt yourself for that, you kept yourself alive, you saved those two idiots back in the woods," Plopping his other hand atop their haphazard pile, it was obvious through tone and expression that every word was meant as fiercely as it was said, "Those villagers won't ever forget that you found that cure for them. Not to mention what you did for me. So don't you regret none of that, and if I catch anybody laughin'," Kiryk trailed off, narrowing his eyes and leaving her to fill in,

"You'll beat' em," With a soft, punctuating giggle.

He nodded, and any verbal response was cut short by Colonel Sheppard's voice asking, "Mind if we join you?"

Looking up, Jennifer found the rest of SGA: 1 at John's elbow; Teyla, Rodney, and Ronon. Inclining her head in the direction of an empty chair, she grinned, "'Course."

The Lieutenant Colonel replied with a smile and he and his teammates each claimed the empty seats around the table; all pretending not to notice as Ronon somehow finagled the empty seat beside Jennifer into being his.

"How you holdin' up Doc?" John asked before taking a sip of one of his multiple cups of coffee so far that morning.

"I'm okay," Jennifer replied with a bit of forcing to her smile, "Jittery as all hell, but okay," She regarded the Lieutenant Colonel with a critical eye, "How' bout you John? You look a bit twitchy."

John quelled his quavering hand by fisting it, "Caffeine. A bit of an over-intake I think."

Watching as John stretched his hand out again and it continued to shake, she then glanced to his mug of coffee, "How many of those have you had so far today?"

John pulled a contemplative face while Teyla answered for him, "This would be his fifth cup I believe."

"Fifth?" The doctor in her stood up and began to lecture, shaking her head, "John. Usually that's Rodney's thing, but apparently you two are in competition or something. Are you trying to make your heart beat out of your chest? Because I'm not really in the mood to play _Operation_ today," Jennifer held up her borrowed hands for them all to see, "I don't have the right appendages for it," With a goofy grin, she wiggled each finger and elicited a laugh from the rest of them.

Evan approached the already teeming table and was greeted by _hello_s around the table, an intelligible grunt from Rodney's corner, and a smile from Jennifer.

"Our guest squared away?" John asked as Evan plunked down in a vacant seat beside Teyla,

"Yessir. Cadman and Reynolds are watching her right now."

"Good," John nodded, and Evan glanced around the table,

"And what's the word over here?"

"John's trying to make his heart blow out of his chest," Evan was informed clinically.

"I see," Evan looked to John, asking, "Lookin' to beat McKay's all-time record Colonel?"

Giving the lippy Major a momentary glare, John looked to the doctor-in-the-thief's body and promised in a placating tone, "I'll try to keep my insides on the inside," And hoped that would appease her.

"Good," Jennifer affirmed dryly, "Because otherwise I'll let Ronon and Evan, with their basic first aid training, put your bits back in."

While Ronon's face creased slightly into a sly and amused half-smile; Evan was a different story. The Major sank back into his chair, his fingertips meeting just below his chin, with the characteristic devious cartoon villain expression on his face. He appeared ready to bellow out, _Muhahahahaha!" _

"That's downright freaky Major," John shook his head at his XO, who grinned innocently,

"Me sir? I think you're overreacting a tad sir."

"Do you?"

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride," Rodney muttered dourly from his corner of the table.

----

"Hello Richard," General Jack O'Neill's voice reached his ears and Woolsey stared at one of the founding members of the Stargate Program as the man grinned gregariously at him through the monitor, "I heard you've got a bit of a mix-up on your hands."

"That's an understatement Jack," Woolsey sighed, taking off his glasses to rub at his eyes, "I'm not sure where to begin."

"The beginning's always a good start, I'd say," Jack offered with a straight face, tucking his hands into his BDU pockets.

"Helpful," Woolsey sent a withering glare through the monitor, which only caused the General on the other side's grin to become smug. From his pocket, he produced a handkerchief and began cleaning his glasses lenses, "I'm sure you've read the report I've sent, detailing what Doctor Keller has told us so far," He paused and Jack agreed,

"With bated breath," Seeing his bureaucratic counterpart was not nearly as amused as he was, Jack chose to tone it down a notch, and said seriously, "Your Doctor Keller's had quite the adventure."

"So it would seem," Woolsey observed, "I am also going to be taking careful stock of the personnel here. I've been coming across some disturbing discrepancies and issues that need to be addressed."

Jack leaned back, crossed his arms, and pulled a face, "Really? Such as?"

"It was in my last report Jack," Woolsey spoke plainly, settling his glasses back onto his nose, and when he looked back up at the monitor was greeted with a near-mocking face from the General,

"Well, seeing as I don't have it _in hand_ Richard, why don't you summarize it for me right quick-like?"

"Of course," The placating smile he knew drove Jack nuts firmly in place; Woolsey began his requested summary, "In one of the most currant instances, a GDO was not reported missing after a mission to P3X-997."

"A GDO?" Jack roared, and Woolsey took a step back from the monitor, "Your people are just leaving GDOs strewn around the galaxy like party favors?"

"This is the first instance I've heard of Jack," Woolsey interjected, "This GDO happened to be pick-pocketed off one of our people, and—"

"Wait—wait—wait—wait, hold on there a minute Richie," Jack held up a waving, open hand, "Did you just say one of your men got pick-pocketed for a critical piece of technology?"

"Well, yes, but Colonel Sheppard was lead to believe—" And again Woolsey was cut off,

"Sheppard? _Sheppard_ got pick-pocketed? Don't they train those boys to pay attention to their surroundings anymore? He staring off into the sunset or something?"

Woolsey could feel that familiar tensing of the back of his neck and pounding headache behind his right eye, "Jack," He called, hoping to quell the General's rambling, but there was no way he could catch this rant by the tail.

----

"You must hate me."

It was Laura's turn to guard Neeva. Evan had helped escort the woman who'd stolen their friend's identity to the barracks they were housing her in, and then posted Captain Reynolds on the other side of the door. It had been silent for the past seventeen minutes since he'd offered his cute little half-smile and exited the room, and now Laura jarringly reminded herself that it _wasn't_ Jen talking to her.

"I'll admit, you're not exactly on my Christmas card list," She had been looking everywhere but at the woman across the room, but now Laura looked over to catch the confusion that flitted across Jen's face,

"Jennifer means a great deal to you."

_Excellent observation Einstein_ was the immediate response that popped into her head, but she bit that down and replied staunchly with, "She's my best friend."

"She's important to a lot of them," Neeva observed, sounding almost sagely as she squirmed a bit on the bed she sat on. It was the first one in the line of three that spanned the barracks wall.

"Glad you finally realized that," Laura commented dryly, unable to restrain her sarcastic tendencies another time. She backed away until her booted heel connected with a chair leg, and then she perched on the edge of the seat, "Look, I know what you're trying to do, so let it go."

"What?" Jen's face was confused again, but after sitting through the past day and a half of listening to her friend in another body detail the hardship and the distress she'd gone through because of the woman who now sat across from her, occupying the body of Laura's _best friend_, there was no way she could mistake them.

"You were workin' me; trying to see if you could get me to feel sorry for you, see if I'd help you," Slumping deftly back in her chair, Laura crossed her arms tightly over her front and shot the woman across the room a sullen glare, "It ain't gonna happen."

"Wha—I wasn't," Neeva slumped too, seeing that trying to manipulate this one was going just as well as it had with Major Lorne. She exhaled deeply, making an annoyed sound in her throat and drew Jen's legs up onto the bed so she sat sprawled across it, "_Fine_."

"Glad we got _that_ straightened out," Laura again kicked a heel against the chair leg, the metal clang reverberating through the silent room as she stretched her legs out in front of her, crossed her ankles and leaned back in the chair, "Now we'll just wait quietly right here, until our presence is need elsewhere."

----

"So there I was, trying to keep up with these two; y'know they're ducking and weaving through the woods. I'm trying desperately _not_ to get lost and not to lose sight of one of them, because I don't have a clue _where_ they're headed."

"Why were they still running?" John asked, having pushed aside his coffee cup, "I thought you'd gotten through the gate by now."

"Oh we had," Jennifer shook her head and gestured with both of Neeva's hands; waving them both with fingers eagle-spread, "I don't know _why _they were still running, considering we'd been through the gate, and there were no crazy villagers behind us. But they were hoofin' it, and I could barely keep upright."

"Why were you having trouble keeping upright?" Teyla wanted to know, exchanging a look with Evan who murmured his assent of her question.

Beside her, Ronon was keeping a close eye on her. He was leaning sideways in his chair, his chin propped on a loosely closed fist with a tiny curl of his lips budding as a pleased smirk. She couldn't help but occasionally let her eyes slide over to him; hoping the subtle glances remained as covert as she hoped they were.

"Because all of a sudden, they turn, I get smacked in the stomach with a branch that Jannick's just shoved out of his way, and the only way to catch up those two yokels is to practically slide down an embankment. And it's all mud and rocks stickin' up everywhere. It looked like it'd rained the night before and I'm praying that I stay on my feet," She shrugged, making a half-hearted noise as she grimaced, "I ended up going head over feet and rolling down the last three and half feet of the damn hill."

That was meant with sympathetic winces and grimaces; Evan pulled an _ouch_ face, Ronon patted her leg under the table, Teyla and John both grimaced as if picturing the landing, and Kiryk shook his head, wincing appropriately. But a quiet snicker emanated from Rodney's end of the table, and in glancing over, found the scientist with a hand brought up to cover over his mouth,

"I'm sorry," He muttered, "I know it's not really—" He trailed off, getting a glare from Ronon and two shaking heads from Teyla and John, "Oh _come _on. If it were me, you'd all be busting a gut."

Jennifer eyed McKay, asking with feigned distress, "You laughin' at me Rodney?"

A low growl emitted from across the table and Rodney glanced sideways to find Kiryk glowering at him. But when a low-pitched chuckle emanated from Jennifer; Kiryk's expression suddenly transformed, and to Rodney's complete shock and partial horror; the former Runner winked devilishly at him. Rodney blanched, and the expression on his face called for barely smothered snickers from all around the table.

"Oh ha-ha," Rodney grumbled, sinking back into his chair, frowning heavily, "Laugh it up."


	11. Explanations: Part Four

**Chapter Eleven: **_Explanations Part: IV _

**Author's Notes: **Hey! Here's chapter eleven! This one's a bit of a long one. Once it got started; it just kept going and going and going, until I finally had to cut it off.

Thanks to everyone whose read and reviewed! : )

-----

_They'd all returned to their original chairs around the conference table. Each of them watched her, waiting for her words. It was unnerving and exhilarating all at the same time. _

_Laura smiled reassuringly at her; Evan gave her a salacious wink that would have made her grin at any other venture. John's steady gaze was comforting in an odd way; and Teyla somehow managed to project encouragement simply by looking at her. Woolsey was calm, cool, and collected; as was his way; even if he was teetering under the weight of all the mistakes and holes in protocols that had been pointed out within the last day and a half, and that too, was heartening. Rodney was avoiding her eyes, but that was something that she hoped could be remedied in time. Kiryk was a steady presence beside her, and knowing she had his support was comforting. And Ronon._

_He was watching her again. And that shouldn't be comforting, that shouldn't be reassuring. But weirdly, strangely; from him it was. He was leaning his chin on his fist as he sat sideways in his chair. It was like he was hanging on her every word. _

We went back to the cave, all four of us. While Kiryk hovered near the mouth of the cave; Jannick and Bordal tensely arranged themselves in spots where they could keep an eye on Kiryk. And then there was me; I settled nervously back where I usually sprawled on the cave floor.

"Alright, you were gonna explain what's going on here?"

It took some prodding; but Bordal, and eventually Jannick begrudgingly collaborated on my tale. As we talked on, Kiryk ventured further into the cave, and then back to the mouth of it. He eventually settled by the fire that was not far inside the cave, poking at it with a stick he'd picked up from the ground. Staring into the flames with a contemplative look on his face, he began,

"Let me get this straight," Kiryk gave a smoldering pocket of coals a good jab, "She's really Doc Keller, but her brain is in your cohort's body. And the cohort's brain is in her body?" He shook his head wonderingly, "Why would you even want to try that?"

Slumped in my spot, one booted foot flung out over the rocky cave floor; happy he was becoming a believer, but I had to add grumpily, "I was opposed to it from the beginning."

"_Bordal and Jannick didn't really take to the idea of me leaving them, at first. There wasn't much they could do besides talk though. They weren't doing such an awesome job keeping me when it was just me, and now that Muscles had shown up," Jennifer grinned proudly, patting Kiryk on his exposed, wiry forearm, "I was _so_ out of there."_

It was probably a little paranoid, but instead of gating straight from wherever we were to Atlantis, we went somewhere else first.

"_Why not just come straight back to Atlantis?" Rodney asked as he adjusted his chair in its crowded place between Carson and Laura. _

"_It was probably a little silly, but I knew that Jannick and Bordal wanted the symbols to Atlantis, and who knows what they would have done with the address," Jennifer explained, then shrugged a shoulder, "I wanted to be careful so if they managed to catch the address on the DHD when we were leaving, they wouldn't be able to get here."_

"_Caution and care are nothing to be taken lightly," Woolsey declared stoutly, tossing a momentary glance in John's direction. The Lieutenant Colonel looked away, knowing his CO was still thinking of the missing GDO and wondered what repercussions would follow from it. _

_Jennifer nodded, "I wasn't taking any chances with it."_

When we stepped through the gate on the other side of the event horizon, there was a group of people, in heavy cloth cloaks, gathered to the left of the stone stairs leading from the gate to the ground. They had their heads bowed and their hands clasped, and my first instinct was that they were praying.

Neither Kiryk nor I knew what was going on, and we looked to each other and then back at them. I went still, and then it came screeching into my head _what did they do _here_?_ I yanked the collar and hood of the cloak up so that the face was covered.

"The Ancestors!" One of them cried out, looking up from where they were crouched, and seeing Kiryk and I standing just a few steps from the closing event horizon, "By the Ancestors, they've come!"

There were many following and corresponding murmurs as the four other beside the first fellow turned to stand and stare.

"They have heard us and have come in answer!" A woman, one of two in the group, seemed relieved at our presences as she clasped her hands.

"You have been sent to us by the Ancestors, yes?" A man with a well-trimmed red beard and a broad, sturdy frame stepped forward from the group with his hands extended to us.

"Uh, no," Kiryk began and I jumped in with,

"We're travelers, from far away."

"Yes," Kiryk confirmed, glancing over at me. I watched as their faces fell, and the collective feeling of hope among them drained away, "We're travelers."

"But, you came through the ring," The one with the red-beard began confused, and one of the other men approached, laying a hand on Red-Beard's shoulder

"Heran, what do we do?"

"What can we do Burgess?" The second woman in their group; a thin, bird-like woman with a pinched face and a bite to her tone asked, "We have tried to help them, received no answer from the Ancestors."

"There must be something Alyn," The one they called Burgess snapped, "Our people need help. There are so many."

"What kind of help?" Kiryk somehow managed to speak before me, "My friend here, she is a healer. Perhaps we—"

"A Healer?" Their faces snapped back to us, and I could recognize the hope that flared through them again. Heran's gaze shifted from Kiryk to me, "We have not had a Healer in our village in many months."

"Really?" That surprised me a little, even though it probably shouldn't of, and I started descending the steps from the gate and approached the group, "Why is that?"

They looked at me like I had some kind of authority and Burgess answered my question, "There is a traveling Healer that visits among the villages, and he has not been this way for months."

"We have people in the village that are knowledgeable of the common ailments," Alyn explained, "But this is beyond their scope."

"There is no way to contact the Healer," Heran agreed, and the rest of the group was nodding along.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked, and then Kiryk was standing beside me again.

"Please, come to the village," Heran urged, "Please help us Healer."

I looked to Kiryk, asking his opinion without words. He looked from me to the group of them; studying each one of them carefully. He appeared utterly calm and collected. Finding whatever he was looking for, or not finding whatever he wasn't; his head dipped once as he agreed.

"All right," I said, gesturing away from the gate, "Lead on."

"_Lead on McDuff?" Woolsey posed, and Jennifer nodded her agreement,_

"_I left the McDuff off. Didn't want to cause anymore confusion."_

"_What was wrong with the villagers?" Carson twisted his chair in closer in to the table, and quickly received a glare from Rodney when the MD knocked the scientist's chair to the side, causing a domino effect along the other side of the table._

"_And how did you two," Rodney pointed between Kiryk and Jennifer, "Manage not to catch it?" He suddenly went back in his chair, "Are you carriers?"_

"_Relax McKay," Oddly enough, it was Kiryk who scolded the neurotic scientist first, "We're fine."_

"_We both were scanned when we got here Rodney," Jennifer assured, but not soothingly, "There were no signs of anything. We're not carriers, we're not contagious, and we're not ill."_

"_Paranoid much?" John asked, giving Rodney a wry look._

"_What?" Rodney demanded, "You're _not _concerned about catching a disease where one of the symptoms is _death_?"_

"_Only if it gets to the final stages," Kiryk shrugged absently, "It's not like you're gonna miss the rash. Or the vomiting. Or the bone-melting fever."_

_Rodney squeaked, drawing backward, "Bone-melting?" The scientist looked panicky, and his eyes darted around the room. A hand crept from the table to his neck; presumably to check his own temperature, while he seemed to be searching for an escape. _

"_Rodney," Carson chided, sadly shaking his head at the scientist's gullibility, "He's just funnin' ya."_

_Jennifer rolled her eyes, "Nobody's bones melted. Besides, your skin would melt way before your bones would anyway."_

_Neeva (in Jennifer's body) looked stricken, Rodney squeaked again, Kiryk appeared to want to chuckle, and Carson turned his chiding expression to Jennifer, "Lass."_

"_All right," Jennifer held back a deep sigh, "McKay, you don't have it. We," She indicated between herself and Kiryk, "Don't have it. We're not carriers. You're in no danger. No one is going to catch it from us."_

"_Satisfied?" John asked Rodney, who shrugged._

_Poor Woolsey; the man looked as if he hadn't been able to rest since Jennifer and Kiryk and their whole world of trouble had arrived. _

_Laura regarded Rodney with a critical eyes and when Rodney turned to peer at her, the Lieutenant shook her head,_

"_What?"_

_Evan too, was shaking his head, "Do you need a pair of gloves McKay? Mask; a respirator maybe?"_

"_Major," John said warningly, "That's enough."_

"_My apologizes sir," Evan returned, but he spoke to John, not Rodney. It was obvious the Major had lost his patience with the astrophysicist. _

_Mentally tabulating when he could take his next dose of _Advil_, Woolsey seemed to lose his buttoned-up stiffness as he grumbled, "Let's get on with it."_

"_Right," Jennifer raked Neeva's hair from her face, catching it and drawing it up into a tail at the back of her head. _

When we arrived at the village, it was pretty quiet. A few people wandered the streets, but they spoke in hushed tones and scurried away as we came near.

"Heran," I asked, my face still covered by the hood and collar, "Why are they afraid?"

"Our village hasn't seen a Healer in many months," He explained, directing us to a building in the center of the village, "And we have not seen such a sickness in much, much longer."

They ushered us inside a house, and once inside, Burgess immediately moved to start a fire in the fireplace. The inside of the house looked like a cabin, roughly hewn furniture; a table and a few chairs, cupboards, and a cabinet; sparsely populated the room, a few windows were scattered over the walls.

"I know that this is not as fine as you would be used to," Heran began to apologize, but my first response was to squeeze his arm,

"It's wonderful," I assured quickly, my mind jumping at the thought of being free of the dank, dark, smelly caves (not to mention the two dank and smelly capturers).

Heran seemed pleased, "Would you—"

"Take me to them."

It hit the usual suspects first; the elderly, children, people with weak immune systems. Then it continued through the village and by then it didn't matter who you were.

The patients presented with a rash, nausea, and dizzy spells. From there; vomiting, general weakness, and fatigue. The next step was a high grade fever and delusions. It then progressed to seizures. In the final stage, the person's body could no longer stand the stress and the dehydration, and they went into full-blown tachycardia.

The first thing I had to do was find a way to bring the fever down before someone's brains started to boil. Before all of this happened, I had been studying the Ancient database, going over any kind of natural occurring plants and such that could be used for medicinal purposes. So it occurred to me,

"Is there any skylark root around here?" I asked Alyn one afternoon. We were standing in a house where two people already had the fever, a third was vomiting, and a fourth was showing the first signs of the rash.

Alyn squinted at me, confused, "Any what?"

I wished I had a tablet then, so that I could show her. Of course they called it something different than the Ancients did. I now had to describe it to her.

"Um," An idea flashed, and I grabbed a stick from the fire place and scratched a rough sketch in the dirt and ashes on the hearth, "This. Ever seen it?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed excitedly, nodding rapidly, "Yes, do you need this?"

"Yes!" I started nodding rapidly too, "Can you get it?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed again, becoming more and more excited, "I'll go," At my nod, (which I really hadn't stopped giving), she darted from the house; the door slamming behind her. Looking out the window, I could see her running through the village.

Alyn soon fell ill too, "Here," I held a cup to her lips, supporting the back of her head with my hand, sweat plastering her stringy hair to her skin, "Drink this."

She took a swallow, and then shuddered at the taste, "What is that?"

"The tea," I pressed the cup back to her mouth, "It'll help bring down the fever, remember? Drink it."

She made a face, but finished the tea in the cup. The tea was really more of a stop-gap than anything. There were properties in the plant that help lower a fever. But we needed a cause and a treatment that would cure it.

And then they found it.

"Jen," I looked up from where I was seated on the hearth, stirring another caldron of the root tea as Kiryk burst into the house after dark one night, about half-way through the second week.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I was up on my feet quickly, and we met in the middle of the room, "Where'd you go?" I spotted a jagged cut winding over his shoulder as I stood, "You're hurt."

"It's a scratch," He quickly dismissed, and instead informed me, "There's a downed mine shaft, just west of the village."

"Is someone hurt? Trapped?" I instantly started mentally inventorying what I had that I could use to treat the injured.

"No Jen, no one was in it. It's been down for a while. The ground underneath of it gave out," Kiryk dissuaded, "But it's right by the stream that feeds into the new well in village."

"What kind of mining?" I asked, catching his train of thought, "Because if the metals or minerals leeched into the water supply, and they ingested them—"

I trailed off and Kiryk picked it up, "Could that have caused the symptoms the villagers' have got?"

"_The first thing we did was shut down the well," Jennifer explained, "Made sure that no one drank from the well anymore." _

"_Filled it in and covered it over," Kiryk added. _

"_What did you do to counteract the effects of the contaminated water?" Carson wanted to know, leaning forward curiously. _

"_Another herbal remedy. I actually tripped over it the next afternoon when Heran and Kiryk took me into the forest to show me the mine shaft," Her borrowed cheeks tinged pink and she offered a one-shouldered shrug._

"_You fell again?" Teyla wondered aloud._

_Jennifer blushed a little harder, nodding, "Yeah."_

_Laura chuckled, "Way to go, Miss Graceful."_

"_The villagers called it black root, because that's what color it is," Kiryk explained, pulling the discussion back on track, and Jennifer finished, _

"_But the Ancient database refers to it as a Quirick plant. Turn the flower and stem into a paste, and it helps the rash; boil the leaves into a broth," Jennifer grinned, "I'd like to go back there as soon as I can; check in on them, make sure everything's okay."_

_Woolsey nodded, agreeing, "We'll see what we can do."_

_Across the table, Evan started to clap, "Way to go brainiac," The Major grinned big, "That's my girl."_

_After those three words left his mouth, Evan's (and everyone else's) gaze swiveled to Ronon. For his part, Ronon seemed to be ignoring that comment (for the time being), and instead asked, "Why didn't you just come back here? You've got all your fancy equipment, access to the Ancient database." _

"_I couldn't leave them," Jennifer argued, "Not until I was sure that they were stable, and even then."_

"_You stabilized them with the root tea—thingy," Ronon disputed, the two turning to meet head on at their side of the table, "You could have come back and gotten our help then."_

"_Yeah, sure," Neeva's brows drew together as Jennifer got annoyed, "And be stuck sitting here for at _least _two days; explaining everything. And that was _only_ if you all actually _believed _me!"_

"_We did!" Ronon threw back, his volume increasing; and left most in the room wondering if he'd wanted to utter _I did.

"_But I couldn't be sure of that! I wasn't going to leave when there was a _likely_ possibility that no one would believe a word I'd said; I'd be locked up in a cell in the brig, and those villagers would be left on their own!" _

_Little Doc could glare near as well as Ronon, John noted as possibly the two most stubborn people he'd ever met tried to stare each other down._

_It was Rodney who broke their stalemate, "Why'd you keep your—er—her face covered all the time?"_

_Jennifer sighed, glancing from her staring contest with Ronon, to Rodney, to her own face, "I had no idea what they'd been up to on that planet. And considering what happened the last time I showed her face," Neeva-in-Jennifer winced, and Jennifer-in-Neeva pulled a face, "I figured it was better to keep that to myself for the time being."_

_Woolsey nodded, then, "I assume you wish to have the reversal process begun as soon as possible."_

_Her tone was terse as she replied, "Yes."_

"_All right then," Woolsey breathed a sigh; of relief or resignation, he wasn't sure, "Then we'll reconvene at ten hundred hours tomorrow morning, and discuss a plan of action," There were nods around the table, "Dismissed." _


	12. Stolen Moments

**Chapter Twelve**

**Author's Notes: **Here's chapter twelve! Enjoy! : ) Thanks to those who read and reviewed!

---------

Jennifer had left the room mere seconds after Woolsey's dismissal; Laura right behind her. Evan had offered Ronon a sympathetic wince before trailing after his feminine friends.

Woolsey too, had soon split; muttering something about taking a horse pill. Surprisingly, Teyla had volunteered to help in delivering Neeva back to her barracks; Carson and Rodney too had vacated; and this left John, Ronon, and Kiryk in the briefing room.

The other two men were silent as Ronon groaned to himself; letting his head fall forward and closing his eyes.

"You okay there Chewie?" John asked, spinning his chair to peer at his friend.

"Yeah," Ronon grumbled, scrapping a hand over his forehead.

"I'm sure Doc'll cool off in a while," He assured, "She's probably just all emotional from relive all that."

"Yeah," Ronon repeated, but he didn't look convinced, "Sure."

Kiryk had stood, and now leaned his behind on the thigh-high filing cabinet, "Jen worried over most of her decisions. She was completely competent, but when we kept trying, and nothing was working, it took a lot from her. And then for you, of all people, to point out all of those insecurities," The ex-Runner trailed off; leaving Ronon with the realization, and John inquisitive,

"What'd you mean? Why him of all people?" The Lieutenant Colonel wanted to know, causing Kiryk to turn a look to Ronon that clearly said,

_You haven't told them yet._

Ronon answered with a subtle shake of his head.

John glanced back and forth between the two of them; the only clear point was that he was missing something, "What?"

"I need a walk," Ronon declared abruptly, standing and striding from the room without a backward glance. This left a puzzled John to stare first at Ronon's retreating back, and then at Kiryk's smirking front.

The two men stared at each other. Kiryk remained half-seated on the short filing cabinet with his arms crossed over his chest, his stare lazily appraising with half-closed eyes. John leaned as far back in his chair as it would go without tipping him backwards and out; his hands clasped loosely atop his stomach, meeting the blue eyed ex-Runner stare for stare.

As the minutes ticked passed, it became obvious that John was going to get nothing from Kiryk in regards to Ronon and little Doc, and damned if he didn't admire the other man for it. To break the tension, as was his way, John asked in an almost lighthearted tone,

"So, when Doc described me to you—what'd she say?"

One side of his mouth curled up into a sort of half smile, "She took her fist, placed it on top of her head like this," Kiryk demonstrated as he spoke, "And then she did this," He released his fist so his fingers made a sort of claw on top of his head. It could be compared to the Lieutenant Colonel's haphazard hair cut.

_Aw, Doc,_ John smiled, "You want to get something to eat?"

--------

He caught up to them as they halted in the corridor to let a group of scientists by. He followed until they entered a little used lounge,

"Why are you running?" Evan asked as the girls flopped onto the sofa, and he chose the chair beside it, "Somebody light a fire under you back there or something?"

"What?" Jennifer tried hard to feign nonchalance, "That was just a conversation."

"Uh huh," Laura muttered disbelievingly, before commenting, "That was some spirited _conversation_ back there hon. Something you want to have a conversation with us about?"

"No."

"Jen," Laura began, then trailed off as the blonde-in-the-brunette flipped said hair over borrowed shoulder and asked,

"What?"

"You are so full of it," The Marine called foul on her Doctor-friend, "You said there was something you weren't telling me, but that you would. So spill it all ready."

"Well, Laura, I," Jennifer sent a pointed glance in Evan's direction, and then so did Laura. Their glancing and peering at each other continued for a few moments until it seemed to click for him and Evan protested,

"Hey! That's not fair!" He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, "Quit doin' that."

The Major pouted and the Doctor shot him a quizzical look, while the Lieutenant laughed,

"He wants to be part of the inner circle."

Evan nodded firmly, "You can't throw me out just because I'm a boy. What happened to equal rights and all that?"

"Did you _seriously_ just play that card?" Laura sputtered, while Jennifer pulled a cushion from behind her and launched it at him.

He was late in deflecting it, so it caught him in the ear on the way by, "Quit trying to wound me woman. I need those."

The next shot was aimed decidedly lower.

"Hey," This one he managed to catch in time, "Was that some kind of implied slam?"

Borrowed shoulders shrugged, as she replied saucily, "You tell me."

Glancing between the two of them, Laura muttered, "Okay now I feel like I'm the one who doesn't know what's going on."

"Nothing," Evan answered immediately; which of course only served to make her all the more curious. Which Evan knew, and so he hastened, "C'mon now Jen. Story-time."

Snickering, Jennifer acquiesced, "All right."

"Finally," Laura sighed, slumping back in her seat.

"You're lucky she hasn't got anymore pillows," Evan muttered grumpily, and then Jennifer reached for her shoe, "Shutting up."

"Good boy," Jennifer smirked, making herself comfortable again as she seemed to change directions, "You guys remember the fake quarantine last year?"

Evan nodded silently, and Laura was the one to ask, "The one where the city thought there was an outbreak, but there really wasn't?"

"Yeah, well, when that happened, I was trapped in the infirmary," Jennifer swallowed, remembering, "With Ronon."

He wanted to make a joke; had a good line in his head, but he kept his mouth shut and instead; nodded along. He could see Laura doing the same.

"We just started talking, and we got to know each other," Jennifer said simply, a tiny shrug to emphasize her confusion with the ease at which the relationship had started, "And we started spending more time together. I'd figured out I was pretty much useless off-world by then," She held up a disarming hand as both of her friends made to protest, "Especially in combat situations. When Teyla and I were kidnapped by the Bola Kai, I was more of a liability than anything. So after my hands healed from falling into that pit with McKay and Carter, I asked him to teach me."

_Dear Lord_. She was setting it up for _perfect_ one-liners, but he'd been cowed into keeping quiet, so he was left with listening to Laura asking, "How to fight?"

"Jen, I would've," Evan paused, and at the redhead's _harrumph_ redirected, "Either of us would have showed you how to fight."

"I know," Jennifer acknowledged, "But Laura was back on Earth for a few weeks, and you were swamped with the new recruits, and I," She sighed before admitting, "I wanted to spend the time with Ronon. It was a win-win. I learned self-defence, and I got to spend time alone with him."

"Aww," Laura smiled, "Our girl's growing up."

Evan rolled his eyes. _Girls_.

"Things just kind of progressed from there," Jennifer leaned a cheek against her palm for a second, "Things were progress_ing_ from there when I was hooked to star in _Revenge of the Body-Snatchers_, and by the sounds of it, from there it all went to rot."

"Yeah," Evan apologized, "Sorry about that."

"We did try to talk you out of it," Laura informed her, and Evan added,

"I do recall an entire conversation comprised of _really? McKay, really?_"

"I _can _kind of see it thought," Laura admitted quietly, leaving Evan to goggle and gape at her,

"What?"

"I spent a few days in McKay's head," She began and Evan shuddered, "Very funny sir, but he's sort of cute; in an exasperating, socially clueless kind of way."

"Exactly," Jennifer agreed, and instead of the disheartening feeling he had swirling in his gut showing on his face; Evan let a disbelieving one take over it,

"Ri-ight. Because his flaming assholery is just _so _adorable."

"You are such a guy," Laura laughed, teasing, and Evan's reply was a complete return to his sarcastic glory,

"Glad to see you were present and accounted for that day in Health class Cadman."

It was Jennifer's turn to snicker behind her hand as the two of them flirted away. Evan's unconscious jealousy, and Laura's unconscious spurring of it was amusing. And _they _made jokes about _her _love life.

-------

"Well aren't we friendly?" Neeva remarked snarkily as they marched through Atlantis' corridors to return her to the barracks. The procession was silent; it had been since they had exited the briefing room, until now when it was Jennifer's voice broke disdainfully. But knowing it wasn't Jennifer _behind_ her voice raised Teyla's ire all the more.

"If you believe goading me will entice me into helping you escape; think again," Teyla bit out frostily, her intention to completely cut off any hope the intruder might have of sympathy from the 'Lateans. The body-snatcher had all ready propositioned Major Lorne, Lieutenant Cadman, Captain Reynolds, and probably any other Marine within earshot. None of them had so much as lingered on the possibility, and Teyla was determined to quash the idea from intruder's mind.

"Wouldn't _dream_ of it," The sarcasm wasn't near gone from her tone as Neeva returned, "Maybe I'm just looking for a rousing conversation. Ever think of that?"

Teyla's response was to remain stoic; quiet, all the while mentally plotting the remainder of the way they had to traverse before they arrived at the barracks and she would no longer have to listen to her. But instead, the silence left the prisoner to musing;

"She's not a part of your team, she's not one of your people," Neeva listed associations off as though not belonging to them should disqualify Jennifer from Teyla's pool of friends, "Both Sheppard and McKay dote on the pretty little doctor. Evan has practically adopted her; she's far closer to the redhead than she is to you, and you cannot tell me that I'm the only one who has seen what Ronon would do for her. She's got your entire team wrapped around her little finger."

"You think your skewed observations should make a difference on whether or not I choose to help you?" The Athosian ground out, forcing her hands from balling into fists. She tried a deep breath, but it did nothing to quell the rising frustration and annoyance that continued to build. She needed to meditate again soon, perhaps, "She is one of them," Teyla informed Neeva, her tone stating _and you are not _as clear as a bell, "She is one of _us_. So do not expect _any_ of _us_ to sympathize or to even entertain the idea of assisting _you_. Loyalty may be a concept you do not understand, but it is a highly valued commodity here."

--------

He'd found himself alone in the gym again. He seemed to be wandering here a lot lately; a constant whenever he was on base in the past few months.

They'd talked briefly; flirted on his ever-increasing visits to the infirmary; shared meals with the other members of his team, and Lorne, and Cadman. It was after the quarantine initiated by the by the planet's ionic activity that they had begun to really bond. They'd become undeniably closer after that lockdown.

They got closer and closer; and then it came as a complete shock to him to have; what had Sheppard called it? The rug pulled out from under him, when she'd decided not to speak any more than was absolutely necessary to him. The reasoning behind that had floored him. She'd been _missing_. She'd been _gone_ for _two months_, and they were just finally getting her back now. Maybe things could finally get back to normal; the way they used to be, if he'd stop putting his foot in his mouth.

What had made him call her out like that? He'd gone after her because he was upset and angry and frustrated and confused. And really, he hadn't the slightest clue what to do about all the crazy _feelings _rioting in his gut. He hated indecision, hated feeling powerless; hated feeling like he'd failed her. If they'd—if he'd noticed something, anything sooner they—he could have brought her home, fixed this for her, instead of her having to fight her way home on her own.

"Oh hey."

Ronon turned as he heard the footsteps faintly approaching, and was greeted by the soft-spoken feminine voice and Jennifer standing just inside the door way. She was a brunette, instead of blonde, brown irises instead of hazel, her features more angular, figure sculpted differently, and a bit taller than she was supposed to be. But it was Jennifer, _his _Jennifer nonetheless, and soon she'd be returned to the petite blonde he knew intimately. The one who was just tall enough to tuck the top of her head comfortably under his chin, and snuck her hands up the back of his shirt to press them against his warm skin when they got cold, and constantly chewed on her lower lip whenever she got nervous.

Taking a few steps further into the gym, her borrowed hands met just in front of her abdomen, "I, uh, I didn't expect anyone to be here. It's so late."

"Couldn't sleep?" He guessed, taking steps forward without realizing it.

"Nah, too jittery," She replied, shaking her head, "You?"

He cracked a lopsided grin, "Something like that," Ronon wandered to one side of the gym. Crouching down, he dug a pair of bantos rods from a duffel bag, "Here," He extended the bantos rod out towards her before tossing it to her as he neared again, "Let's see how rusted your skills are."

Catching the proffered bantos rod with a grin, Jennifer maneuvered Neeva's body into the familiar fighting stance; just as he'd shown her when they'd begun their sessions months ago, "All right-y then tough guy," She teased, her eyes never leaving his form as he stalked in a circle around her, "Let's go."

As he started another circle around her; she poked out with the end of her stick, and catching him in the side of the leg.

She moved with him; watching, following his every move and gauging the next. She managed to block or dodge most of his shots, wobbling a little on her feet as she moved too far to one side. But there was the same fire and determination behind those miss-colored eyes that brought the smile back to his face. She was braver with her strikes now; possibly from the need she'd had to utilize those skills. They had kept her alive, let her protect herself, and he was exceptionally proud of her.

"Good, good," Ronon grinned, evading one of her strikes.

_Thwack. Thwack, thwack, thwack. Thwack, thwack. _

"You still mad at me?" He asked after they'd been sparring for a few minutes; the only sounds in the room were the bantos rods connecting; wood against wood, and the occasional noise called from their efforts.

Jumping back to avoid his swing, Jennifer replied, "I wasn't really mad at you. I was more upset with myself."

"Why?" He was circling her again; and she was shifting quickly to keep her eyes on him and her borrowed body poised.

"Because I made the decision," Jennifer explained, "I thought it was the right one."

"It was," Ronon returned decidedly, "You found the cure; Kiryk figured out the cause. It worked out."

"But it might not have," She managed to poke him, once, in the stomach as he backed her towards the wall, "It might have been the completely _wrong_ decision, for all the reasons you said. Do you have an idea how unbelievably _lucky_ it was? To just trip over the cure like that? If I hadn't of done that, I might never have _remembered_ it; let alone _found _it. And then to have you point out every one of my insecurities," She exhaled steadily, "It hit home."

"I didn't mean to poke," Ronon began, but Jennifer cut his apology off,

"You were right. I shouldn't have gone after you like that. It wasn't your fault that you touched on every mistake I thought I might have made."

"Jennifer, c'mon. If there hadn't of been another way; you would have contacted us somehow. You—you and Kiryk, you _saved_ those people. You made the right choice," Ronon 'attacked' with his bantos rod; which she skittishly managed to deflect, "It was right."

"But, I," She jumped back to avoid one of his swings and found her borrowed body backed against a wall.

"I said that," He huffed out a breath, not at all at ease with the conversation. Feelings in general were not easy for him to talk about; especially since he wasn't much for talking period. Giving a sigh, he began again, "Things haven't been right since you've been gone. I—I—I missed you. I thought you were right there; here; just different. You didn't want me around anymore," The sparring stopped, and in a dejected motion, Ronon's face fell so his gaze hit the floor, "You didn't want _me_ anymore."

"Ronon," Jennifer sighed, her bantos rod falling uselessly to her side, "I'm sorry, I—"

"Shhh," His hand lifted to her borrowed cheek; thumb stroking over the cheekbone, "Don't apologize."

They stood there; silently staring, his hand cupping her borrowed face. It was her; Jennifer, _his_ Jennifer, standing there; looking back at him with a soft smile. And yet, it wasn't. Her body wasn't there; her eyes were the wrong color, the curve of her body different. But it _was _her; even though the hand that held his wrist was more tanned and callused than her small palm.

Jennifer sighed, inhaling deeply. She'd been waiting for this moment for a very long time. The cat naps she'd survived on during her adventure as another woman had yielded dreams of returning home; of returning to him. She wanted to throw herself at him, let him hug her again and hear him whisper that everything would be right again. And yet, she held back. Of _course_ she wanted that reunion. Craved it. And she could see that he did too.

Their faces hovered closer and closer until there was scant inches between them. She could get lost in his eyes; he watched her, completely focused as if there was nothing else in the world, just them, right then, that moment. Her borrowed teeth worried her bottom lip, her tongue then flickering over the nibbled flesh. His heated groan brought them both back around, as Jennifer answered with a groan of her own. The aggravated sound flew from her throat as she let her head fall forward to collide gently with his chest.

They couldn't do this.

Not when she still wore the skin of somebody else.

"Jennifer," She could feel the rumble in his chest as Ronon spoke; that gravely, ironically soothing sound, "It's okay."

"It's not that," She raised her head, staring once again into attentive green irises and finding something smoldering behind them that made her curse Neeva's badly formed, badly executed plot all over again, "It's not that I don't want this. Because I do. I _do_. I-I've thought about you so much when I was –away—and I couldn't wait to get back here; back home, with you. I—sometimes thinking about you was what kept me focused, kept me trying to get back here."

"Jennifer," He gripped her hands in his hands, holding her close even though she'd pulled away, "It's okay, you don't have to explain, I know it's been hard."

"Ronon, it's not that—I want to be with you, but not—not like this," He looked puzzled as she blustered on, "Not with me being not me. I want to be _me_. I don't want _her_ to be any part of this, of _us_. Does—does that make any sense at all?"

Regarding her carefully, an admiring smile tugged at his lips, affection expressed in his eyes, "It does," Lifting a large hand, he cupped her cheek; his fingers stroking the unfamiliar skin she was soon to shed. As she leaned her face against his palm, her eyes slid closed and she released a quiet, but pleased sigh, "Because I want the same thing. I want you."

Her eyes still closed; her face and neck turned a burning crimson as his words sunk in.


	13. To Put It Right

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Author's Notes: **The descriptions of the device are coming from the pictures and transcripts (from gateworld) of SGA S5's _Identity_, and a little from SG: 1 S9's _Avalon_. As is some of Rodney's scientific techno-babble. Hopefully it sounds right. : ) Thanks for the reviews!

------

"Now that we've heard from Doctor Keller," Woolsey motioned towards the woman as he spoke as they began the third day in a row gathered around the briefing room table, then turned to the other side of the table as he spoke to the woman-in-stolen-body, "Why don't you tell us what the hell you were playing at?"

A few glances were exchanged at Mr. Woolsey's uncharacteristic display of ire, and Neeva seemed quietly resigned. Jennifer's face was set as Neeva's plan was unfolded,

"This place is supposed to be—it is—a treasure trove of Ancestor technology. If we could sell even a few items, it would catch a very high price."

"Scavenger," Rodney scoffed from his little space, and across the table both Kiryk and Ronon were nodding their agreement. John fought to keep his face straight. The three of them were in full agreement? Surely hell had just frozen over.

"When we found the artifact and heard the legend surrounding it, we—I thought that it was worth a shot," Neeva ignored their judgments and stares, or tried to. They weren't the first of their kind that had been directed at her, and it wasn't as if she could say they were entirely unwarranted. She knew the disruption she'd caused all of them. Not to mention the other thing.

"Wait."

"What legend?" The question came from Teyla and John as the pair peered at her with the same intense stare.

"That by the stones, you would be transferred to see the worlds from the eyes of another," Neeva explained, "If you had one of the stones, and someone had its mate, you would see what that person was seeing. And that by the artifact, you could operate the stones."

"I see," Teyla puzzled, "I had not heard of this."

"Me neither," Ronon shrugged, but Kiryk's answer was different,

"I have. Thought it was just a story, but I've heard it."

"The stones must have been some kind of communication device," Rodney's mind was off and running, and then suddenly, it was as if a light bulb had gone off over his head, "Nobody move," He ordered absently as he leapt from his chair and hurried from the room.

With a skeptical tone, Kiryk asked, "Is he always like this?"

"Usually," Carson replied matter-of-factly.

He tossed a glance down at Jen, who shrugged a borrowed shoulder, "It's how his mind works. Once he's got an idea, there's no stopping him."

John threw in, "He's very dedicated to his work."

"Uh huh," Was what Kiryk managed to mutter before Rodney came striding back into the room, brandishing a tablet,

"Is _this_ what your artifact looks like?" He thrust the tablet under Neeva-in-Jennifer's-body's nose so she actually had to back up a little to see the screen. Most of them craned themselves around to see the screen along with her, but only the closest to Neeva could make out what the tablet was showing.

"Yes," Neeva proclaimed in the affirmative, and Rodney turned the tablet around for the rest to see.

"It's an Ancient device," Rodney explained, beginning to pass the tablet around so those seated could give the display screen closer inspection, "The stones are activated by someone who has the ATA gene, and then anybody can use 'em."

"How'd you find this?" John asked curiously, taking his turn in inspecting the tablet.

"When Jennifer and Kiryk first arrived, I was going through the database, looking for possibilities to substantiate their story, and I came across it," Rodney rambled on, "SG: 1 came across the same artifact on Earth in an underground cavern," Rodney was standing as he spoke; pacing in a tight circuit and gesturing wildly, "Doctor Jackson and a Miss Mel—something—"

"Vala," Woolsey supplied blandly, "Vala Mal Doran."

"Yeah, her," He snapped his fingers and switched back onto his previous track, "Anyway, she and Doctor Jackson were held together by some sort of manacle," He was interrupted again by Evan, who asked,

"Handcuffs?"

"Kinky," John gave an answering snort, and Rodney glared at them, glowering frustrated, "Sorry Rodney. You were saying?"

"_Thank _you," The scientist grumbled before moving on, "_Any_way, the stones they used to activate the device had already been activated by General O'Neill, so when Doctor Jackson was inspecting the device, he and Vala ended up in the bodies of a couple in the Ori galaxy."

"This report sounds familiar," Woolsey murmured as he thought it over.

"How did they get Doctor Jackson and Vala switched back?" Laura was the first to venture the question that was on all of their minds.

Here, Rodney paused in his rapid-fire speech, and visibly gulped, "They chucked it into the energy vortex that's created when the gate opens."

"They had to _disintegrate _the damn thing?" John blustered, and Ronon was gritting his teeth,

"McKay."

"_What_?" Rodney demanded, "It's not like this swapping thing was _my _genius plot! You want a scapegoat?" He pointed at Neeva-in-Jennifer, "Take your righteous anger out Switchy-Fingers over here."

"It was only supposed to be for a couple of hours, but I've been trapped, for more than _two_ months as your precious _Doctor Keller_. With no way to contact my people; and no way to find out why for myself," Neeva threw in, her voice just as angry and frustrated as theirs, "If you can fix this, get me the hell out of here."

"McKay," Ronon's gravelly tone held a bit more grit to it than usual; "Is there another way to shut the thing down?"

"There's only one way to shut it down," Rodney took the proffered tablet back and began to work the screen, "We have to go to the planet, find the communications terminal and shut it off. It was activated on that end, so that makes that end the initial transmitter. The only way to sever the connection is to shut it down at the source."

"So that's what we have to do," John said with an air of finality. Finally something to _do_ instead of sitting and listening and being no help what-so-freaking-ever; "We go there, and McKay can switch this thing off, and Doc can get her body back."

Heads were nodding in agreement around the room, but Jennifer-in-Neeva's mind was elsewhere;

"Why me?" Jennifer asked across the table. Her voice was quiet and steady, but there was emotion behind it that belied her calm front.

"What?" Neeva replied, more from not knowing how to answer than from not hearing the question.

"You had to give me the stone for this whole plan to work," It was unnerving for them all, to watch this conversation between two people who were in the wrong place; to look into the face of one and yet hear the voice of the other. To have Neeva's body and physical voice tinged with potent emotions call out Jennifer's, when it was really Jennifer who'd been wronged and Neeva who should deal with the consequences, "I'm guessing it happened on the same planet where you swiped the GDO from Sheppard. Why did _you_ give _me_ the stone?"

Neeva-in-Jennifer inhaled deeply, and then exhaled harshly. All eyes were on her. There was no escaping answering the questions, no method of ducking and hiding. There was no escaping this moment.

"They respect you; you hold a position of power among them as a healer. I needed that, if the plan was going to work. They like you," Neeva snorted humorlessly, internally fighting to keep the actual trepidation behind her façade, "I hadn't realized just how _much _until after."

It was Woolsey who broke the responding silence.

"Major Lorne will accompany Colonel Sheppard's team, along with Doctor Keller's," Here Woolsey paused in his instructions and gave a hearty tug at his restraining collar, "Body. Miss Casol will, I assume, lead you to the device, and Doctor McKay," Woolsey gestured mildly to the scientist, "Will reverse the process, returning Doctor Keller and Miss Casol to their respective bodies."

Heads bobbed around the table in agreement.

"If all goes according to plan," Rodney muttered, earning him a glare from Ronon and a head shake from Evan,

"Way to think positive."

"Listen, Major Sunshine. Just because," Rodney's returning rant was cut off when a loud whistle ripped through the room. Eyes turned to Neeva, who shrugged Jennifer's shoulders as she removed her fingers from her mouth.

"Kiryk and Doctor Keller will remain here, that way there will be no repeat of previous scenes," Woolsey gave a quick head shake, and then was off again, "Try to keep contact with the locals to a minimum," He advised John, "From what we know about them, they're suspicious and jumpy. Get in, do what is needed, and get out."

John feigned shock, "What about diplomatic relations?"

Woolsey turned a glare on him that was meant to freeze the sarcasm from the Lieutenant Colonel; if only for a moment, "Diplomatic relations have never been your strong suit Colonel. We'll worry about that after we get our Doctor Keller back."

John was nodding at this, "Understood."

"All right then," Woolsey acknowledged, "You have a go."

John was quickly on his feet, ordering, "Let's gear up and move out people."

--------

Within twenty minutes, they were gathering in the gate room, putting the finishing touches on their gear. Pulling the zipper tight on his TAC vest, Evan grinned and nudged a shoulder against Jennifer-in-Neeva's, "I hate to be the one to say it."

"So don't," She intoned darkly.

"I told you we'd get it straightened out," He told her anyway, nudging her arm again, "Didn't I tell you?"

"Don't crow too loud Ev," Jennifer replied, nudging him back, "You'll jinx it."

"I'll jinx it?" He joked incredulously, "Me? This coming from _you_; _Miss-I-Tripped-Over-The-Cure_?"

"Shut up," She growled effectively, and Evan pulled a shocked face,

"Been taking lessons from your boyfriend?" He teased, and she proved just how well she'd been paying attention to said lessons when she punched him in the shoulder, causing him to feign serious injury, "Ow."

"Suck it up flyboy," Was her reply, but she smiled and so did he, "If somebody goes for a pitchfork, run like hell."

Evan chuckled, "Will do," Leaning closer, he gave her a peck on her mismatched cheek before assuring, "It'll be over soon."

Not far from the two of them, stood the bulk of SGA: 1. Leaning back, John elbowed Ronon lightly, "Looks like you might have some competition there Big Guy."

Ronon rolled his eyes, "Nah, I don't think so." He knew Jennifer and Lorne were close. There was no denying that. But he also knew _them_, and because of this; he could trust that he had nothing to worry about.

Exchanging a curious glance with Teyla, John gave a one-shouldered shrug, "Well all right then," Before hollering up to Chuck, "Dial it up."

John, Teyla, Rodney, and Evan all headed for the gate, but Ronon hung back. Turning around, he sought her eyes; hoping that when they returned it would be with her in the right place. The right _body_. Their gazes met, the message telegraphed between them; _soon._ Giving a minute nod, Ronon swung on his heel and loped after his team through the wormhole.

Watching until the final flash of the light projected by the event horizon flashed away, Jennifer sighed; hugging borrowed arms to a borrowed torso. Kiryk appeared, seemingly from nowhere, to stand beside her. They stood, eyes on the empty ring; each quietly in their thoughts, neither speaking. Not until Jennifer leaned her shoulder against Kiryk's arm and offered, "How 'bout a tour?"

The ex-Runner smiled, knowing it was more a distraction from thinking about her team out there, searching for a way to save her and her having nothing that she could do to help at this point, than it was about showing him around the famed _City of the Ancestors_. The smile in place, he gave a stately nod, and offered her his hand, "Which way?"

-------

"All right then," John announced as they exited the gate planetside, "Keep your eyes peeled for angry mobs."

"Angry, pitchfork toting mobs," Evan supplied helpfully.

"Right," John acquiesced to the amendment, and Rodney muttered, more to himself than anyone, as he adjusted his backpack,

"Let's get on with this."

"Which way?" John asked, and the group turned to Neeva. Save for Ronon, who; head down, was inspecting the ground.

"Village's that way," He indicated, gesturing towards the east, "Tracks from and heading in that direction."

Neeva pointed in a similar manner, close towards the trail Ronon indicated, but a little off to the side, "We have to go by the village, but then off into the woods a little."

"Are the villagers aware of the existence of the device?" Teyla asked.

Neeva shrugged, "They know it's there, but they don't know what it is."

------

And for once it seemed the body-snatcher was being truthful, as before they diverged from the path to the village to head towards the woods, a group came out to meet them. The man leading them fit Jennifer's description of the Magistrate to a _T_, "I am Magistrate Neit. What brings you to our fair village?"

Varying reactions to his oddly warm welcome rippled through the group. Most notable were the low growl that emanated from Ronon, and the disbelieving snort from Evan, and Rodney's loud _harrumph_.

John peered skeptically at the rounded fellow, but Teyla was their facilitator as usual; the Athosian's retrained demeanor winning out, "We are travelers. We come from away to see the natural beauty that surrounds this place."

That sounded like a good of excuse as any, even though they hadn't actually decided on a particular story.

"I see," The Magistrate offered them a smile, and out of the corner of his eye, John could see Evan reaching to grab Ronon's forearm before the big man could make an angry move, "Come to our village," The Magistrate invited warmly, "Share a meal with my people and I."

Right away, John knew having Ronon anywhere near this guy was a bad idea. The Big Guy's temper was barely simmering beneath the surface. Any time spent listening to the Magistrate's simpering pleasantries, and Ronon would likely unleash some kind of retribution for the Magistrate's cruel treatment of the Doc. Lorne too, would be a bad idea. While a bit more restrained than Ronon, Evan had the same mindset. Both were very fond of Doc and either or both of them would happily exact revenge on her behalf.

But that meant leaving them with Rodney; which could get ugly in its own way. Alpha-male tendencies; coupled with Rodney's ego, Ronon's temper, and Evan's predisposition to sarcasm; could cause an explosive situation. Throw in a woman none of them could stand, and it just kept getting better.

No, it would be better just to keep everybody together, John decided. As well, he'd decided that he missed the times he'd even been _aware _of the Stargate Program and all the body-swapping, life-sucking craziness that came along with it. And so, he made their excuses,

"Maybe later. We'd like to take a closer look at your natural landscapes before the lights go down. We may make a stop on our way back through."

While he didn't seem pleased, it wasn't as if the Magistrate could hold them there, "Of course."

"Right," Definitively, John looked off towards the picturesque hills and woods to the northeast; shading his eyes from the glare of the suns, "Move out," He ordered, sending a _look_ towards Ronon that could not be misunderstood.

It could be ignored however. As Ronon moved to take point in the all ready discussed direction of the _lab_ and the body-swapping device, he halted to be face to face with the Magistrate. The man who'd nearly killed Jennifer. _His_ Jennifer. Fury radiated from him as he stared down the rotund man who visibly quaked under Ronon's glare. If it hadn't of been for Teyla prodding him forward; who knew what might have become of the Magistrate. Ronon strode off towards the northeast; towards the woods, Evan following him closely, and the Major too, sent a deathly glare at the befuddled Magistrate. Rodney was next; and he too, sized up the Magistrate before moving off behind the other two. Teyla led Neeva off, not even looking to the Magistrate again, but Neeva looked him up and down carefully before Teyla hauled her off. John brought up the six; and while he managed (difficult though it was) to keep his facial expression neutral, he did nothing to assuage the confusion and apprehension now displayed by the Magistrate.

They'd trekked through the forest for nearly an hour, and John was making calculations in his head about Doc and her capturers having to run the distance with vengeful villagers on their tails (Doc was a tough lady, he definitely had to give her that) when Neeva stopped short and they realized they'd stopped at the mouth of a clearing.

"Here it is," Neeva indicated the mid-sized wooden structure. Nestled among the woods, the one-storey building looked like a house; with windows on either side of a door situated in the middle of the front wall; pretty budding bushes beneath it.

"You are sure?" Teyla asked, while Evan observed,

"It doesn't look very—"

"Ancient—y?" John suggested, and Evan solemnly agreed,

"Sounds about right sir."

"I'm sure," Neeva affirmed around their odd interruptions, "Though it doesn't look very," The thief-in-the-doctor paused at the strange, almost colloquial term, "Ancient—y, the device is in there."

"Then let's get a move on," John ordered, "Ronon," He and Ronon took point; Evan, Rodney, and Teyla waited, and made sure Neeva didn't abscond with Jennifer's body. With the shout of, "Clear!" The rest of the group; Neeva sandwiched between Evan and Teyla; filed inside.

"Rodney," John called, but the scientist didn't even hear him as he made for the device, "What've you got?"

"Give me a minute," Rodney muttered as he circled the device, inspecting it from every possible angle. It was a round thing; sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Atop the device sat an oddly shaped crystal; blue in color and light up; signifying the device was operational. It looked to be made of some kind of malleable metal; with long, talon-looking things scaling the device from the twists of wire and metal holding the crystal in place to the round globe portion of the device to the molded stand that held it up. There were little holes, sized and shaped in a way that could be only for the stones that were to be placed there. The interfaces were grouped in threes, spanning the entire circumference of the device. On the far side, Rodney found as he circled it, were two stones interfaced with the device. Presumably these were what kept Jennifer in Neeva and vice versa. Now all he had to do, was shut it down.

_Oh goody._

-------

The infirmary was in a lull. A few nurses milled around, as the doctor-on-duty, Carson was in his office. Focusing on the monitor to his computer, he inspected on the scans that were graphically reproduced on the screen. And then he saw it.

_The possibility_.


	14. Poke the Bear

**Chapter Fourteen **

**Author's Notes: ** And here is chapter fourteen! Yay! : ) Thanks for the reviews. The same disclaimer stands for the bits of the plot and Rodney's techno-babble (_Avalon _and _Identity_).

-------

"So what do you think?" Jennifer asked with fake cheerfulness. She had been taking Kiryk on a tour of the city; with a Marine escort of two trailing along behind them.

"Of Atlantis?" He asked, and at her nod, observed, "It's very _big_."

She chuckled at that, staring up at the tower's top from the balcony of a lower building they stood on, "That it is."

"It's definitely worthy of the legends surrounding it," Kiryk continued, leaning back and shielding his eyes as he too looked up to the top of the tower, "Atlantis is a formidable city."

Jennifer nodded, rocking back once on her heels and then forward again, "And how goes it with the constant shadow?"

Discretely Kiryk glanced at the two uniformed Marines lurking not far behind them. They had been shadowing him since he'd been released from the cell, "The concept of being followed is not something new to me."

"I'm sorry," She blurted out, "It's not that we don't trust you—it's, well—_I _trust you. They just," She sighed, "They don't know you yet. Give them a little time. The guards'll go away soon."

He gave an accepting nod, "I understand their reasons for caution. I didn't expect any different."

"I kind of did," Jennifer sighed again, this time turning and leaning on the balcony's railing, "You're a friend, and they've got two uniforms tailing you at all times."

"I'm not offended little one," Kiryk said in a placating tone, joining her at the railing, "So don't trouble yourself over it."

----

Ronon was pacing outside the building, having been too confined with everyone crammed into the one room. Leaving John, Teyla, and Neeva in the house with McKay; Evan exited the house/lab and took a deep breath of fresh air. He'd need the fortifying for what he was about to do. _Poke the bear_.

"You know, if you wandered off to your left a bit, you could probably have that field plowed before this is over."

Shooting a glare at the Major without pausing in his pacing, Ronon grumbled, "Not the time Lorne."

"Why not?" Evan disputed, "Neither one of us are really any help in trying to shut that _thing_ down. Well, unless they wanted somebody to shoot it, then you'd be _all_ over that."

"You tryin' to be funny?"

"Sadly," Evan sighed, "Not working, is it?"

"No."

"Okay, fine," He took three big steps to place himself directly into Ronon's path; causing the Satedan to stop short to avoid plowing the Earthling over, "What are your intentions with Jennifer?"

"Wha—what?" Ronon sputtered, backing up from nearly standing on top of Evan, "Are you crazy?"

"No," Evan deadpanned, "Jen is like a sister to me. If you're just, I don't know—"

He didn't get any further because Ronon was instantly centimeters from him; furious eyes flashing as he made fists in the Major's BDU jacket. It was damn near a snarl as Ronon ordered, "Don't even _think_ of finishing that sentence."

"Ronon!" John's voice hollered as the Lieutenant Colonel wandered out of the building and upon the scene that appeared like Ronon was about to bury Lorne by throwing the Major _through_ the turf, "What the hell's going on here? Put him down!"

While Ronon lowered Evan so that his boots no longer dangled over the ground (there was a good foot between their heights), he still dragged on Evan's jacket.

"Ronon," John said warningly as he saw Ronon's fists still clenched in the fabric of Lorne's jacket, "Let. Him. Go."

But Evan didn't seem nearly as perturbed as one ought to be when hauled off one's feet by a furious looking, six-foot and then some fellow, who _could_ throw you across the yard. In fact, he solidified in John's mind the idea that the Major had a death wish; when he looked to John and _smiled_,

"S'okay Colonel. I tripped;" He assured John airily, "Ronon here was just picking me up. Isn't that right Big Guy?"

Evan turned to look at Ronon again, and Sheppard was puzzled even more as some strange kind of acceptance seemed to flow between the two; and not only did Ronon release his hold on Evan; he _relaxed_ and answered in the affirmative, "Yeah. You steady now?"

"Perfectly," Evan replied evenly, and while John was _sure_ there were hidden meanings behind the words exchanged, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they meant.

As he turned to re-enter the building, John heard Ronon ask Evan, "What's _Nair_?"

"Girly stuff, hair remover," Evan replied, "Why?"

"Something Cadman said," Ronon returned gruffly, and the next sound was Evan's muffled laughter.

John shook his head as he stepped out of earshot. He did _not _want to know.

-----

"It's best, little one," Kiryk assured as she paused in the tour she'd been leading him on to wrap the arms of her borrowed; soon-to-be-returned; body around its middle and stare out over the waves, "Soon everything will be back to the way it was before. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes," She agreed quietly, and he joined her in watching the water. He leaned on his arms; closing his large hands around the top bar of the railing that surrounded the balcony, listening intently as she admitted, "I just want it to be over and done."

"Soon," The former Runner said with certainty, swiveling his head to see his friend, because as different as she may look, for the moment, it was still the woman he remembered; the galaxy-renowned healer. That was a title, an honor, she had well earned. The villagers on the planet they'd last vacated would sing her praises to all who followed. She'd refused to leave the two bumbling thieves to the mercy of the Wraith, even patched up their scrapes and cuts. And she had rescued him too. She had freed him from the Wraith tracking device; even though he had kidnapped her, dragged her through the woods and away from her friends. Even then, Jennifer had offered her help, and she had definitely delivered on her promises. Jennifer had disabled his tracking device, taken care of Celise; found the little girl a safe home. He owed her his loyalty, his respect. But she'd earned something more; something he'd only seen glimpses of in the most recent of the passing years. The little doctor had managed to elicit his affections as well, "Everything'll turn out, you'll see," She nodded, not looking up, not making a sound other than a tiny sniffle, "Little one, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure everything can just go back Kiryk," Jennifer replied in a small voice, red brimmed eyes staring straight over the water; a now holding a white-knuckle grip on the railing. She couldn't chance it to look at him, "Things seem alright now, but what if they're stuck, and something's broken, and I can't fix it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, so much has happened. So much has changed; I've changed, they've changed, _circumstances_ have changed and I don't know, I don't know if it can all be just turned back into what it was before," Tears slipped from her eyes as she spoke, and she exhaled hard, trying to stop her crying before it started.

Kiryk stretched an arm out, dropping it around her shoulders with the practiced ease of an old friend, "The only thing I can tell you is that you've got a good thing here. You've got good people here, and you've earned their loyalty and their trust. They care for you. You'll be all right. Perhaps what you need is time," He chuckled, giving her a squeeze, "What was that Earth saying you used, when Bordal thought the Wraith had passed simply because we couldn't hear them any longer? Something about hatching chickens? I think you could use it here too, what'd you think?"

She made no response; instead her eyes flew closed and she crumbled; and he jumped to catch her before she could hit the ground, "Jennifer?"

------

"Rodney!" John called as he re-entered the lab house, glancing over his shoulder because he still wasn't sure what was going on with Ronon and Lorne, "How's it comin'?"

"I'm working on it," Rodney returned, his voice having hit annoyance a while ago and was nearing anger, "I'm going as fast as I can. This is a _powerful_, _delicate_ piece of _Ancient _technology. I'm not the guy at the drive-thru window of your local McDonalds, y'know!"

"Yeah McKay, we get it. It's difficult, but you're supposed to be the genius here," Evan drawled as he too, re-entered the room, "How'd you say they got Doctor Jackson and Vala switched back?"

"If you'd been paying _attention _at the briefing," McKay snarked back, his head poking out over the crystal that formed the top of the device, "I wouldn't have to waste time repeating myself."

The Major exhaled hard, tightening his hand into a fist and loosening it in a strange pattern, "I was tuning you out in favor of preserving my own _sanity_."

"We're trying to essentially _rescue _a woman you profess to care for," McKay pointed at Evan, a scowl on his face, "And you're not paying attention?"

"_Enough_!" Teyla's holler caught their attention, and the two men turned obediently to pay her the due attention, "Stop the needless arguing and find a way to do what we came here for. Rodney," Both the astrophysicist and the Major looked repentant; "Can you shut it down?"

"I've been trying," Rodney explained, "But right now, I'm starting to think the best idea would be to cart the thing to the gate and toss it in."

From behind Teyla, the tell-tale whine of Ronon's blaster came, seconds later followed by Ronon's terse order of, "Stand back."

"Whoa there Caveboy!" Rodney scrambled backwards, scolding the entire way, "You cannot just start blasting away at—" The scientist's rant was cut short when Ronon pulled the trigger and a ball of red energy consumed the device, "Oh god, oh god, oh god," Rodney was on the verge of hyperventilation, "Do you have any idea what you've done? You could have possibly just destroyed the only way of returning Jennifer to her own body!"

Ronon took a menacing step towards Rodney, "You were about to chuck the thing into the gate!"

"I was _working on it_!" Rodney hollered furiously, his face red with anger and exertion, "You just get impatient and go blasting away—shooting things when you have _no idea_ what they do! How could you possibly be so _mindless_?"

"Rodney!" Teyla was hollering sharply once again, and all attention in the room swung to her. This halted Ronon's preparations for throwing Rodney through the wall, "I believe the device is powering down."

"What!" Rodney hollered, glancing at Ronon and then scrambling back to the device.

"Look," Teyla pointed to the crystal, which had begun to diminish in brightness, "It is powering down."

"Oh my god," The scientist murmured to himself, his face returning slowly to its normal color, "I think it is. It's powering down. It's actually shutting down. It worked," He glanced again to Ronon, who towered over him from his position crouched beside the device, "It worked."

"It worked?" Jennifer's voice asked wondrously, and before anyone could answer; she staggered to the side and slumped to the floor.


	15. And Now We Wait

**Chapter Fifteen: **_And Now; We Wait_

**Author's Notes: **Okay, here comes chapter fifteen! :) Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed!

-----

"Doctor Beckett!"

The infirmary was suddenly bustled as Kiryk, his two guards, and Neeva's inert body entered. Kiryk carried her into the infirmary and a nurse met him to direct him to a bed.

"What happened?" Carson was up and out of his office almost immediately, arriving at the side of the bed Neeva had been laid on. He stuck the ear pieces to his stethoscope in his ears and checked her vitals, "Lass," He called, carefully lifting her eyelids with his thumb and shining a penlight in her eyes to check her pupils.

"We were walking on a balcony, and she just collapsed," Kiryk explained, his eyes darting from Neeva's body to Carson, "She all right?"

"She appears to be stable," Carson concluded, "Breath sounds, heartbeat, all normal."

Kiryk scrubbed at his jaw thoughtfully, "Could this be because of the device?"

"Could be," Carson agreed, looking down at Neeva's body before he looked back up to Kiryk, "If they managed to switch the device off; that might have been what caused this."

He was nodding along with the doctor's words, then turned to the Marines who shadowed his every move, "One of you should remain here."

One of the Marines blinked, the other looked baffled to be given orders by the man they were supposed to be guarding, "Excuse me?"

"If Beckett is right, your leaders have managed to shut down the transference device, which means you've got a thief whose been hiding among your people right," The ex-Runner pointed towards the unconscious thief to emphasize his point, "There. You might want to be sure she stays put."

-----

"Jen?" Evan sprung from his post, catching her mid-fall and lowering her to the floor, "Jen? Can you hear me?"

Eyes closed, her hair falling over her face, there was no response from Jennifer. A hard, worried lump formed in Evan's throat as he swept her hair back from her face and yanked off his glove; reaching with two fingers to check her pulse. He didn't notice as Ronon knelt beside them, cradling her head between his large hands. Teyla and John had moved in to hover, while Rodney looked on worriedly from a few steps away. Evan lowered his head to a few centimeters over Jennifer's chest, listening intently to her breathing.

"Major?" John ventured hesitantly.

"Is—is she okay?" The big man's voice wavered a little, and he was the first Evan looked to as he lifted his head.

"She's okay. Breathing, heartbeat; all stable. She's just unconscious," He assured, breathing his own sigh of relief, "But she's okay."

"_Just_ unconscious?" McKay balked from across the room, and John shot him a hard look. There was sloppily hidden concern all over the astrophysicist's face; and as John's expression began to show he'd seen; Rodney instantly busied himself with gathering the tools, the tablet, and such that he'd spread on the floor around the device as he'd worked.

"We should get her back," Evan stepped to the side and Ronon moved in, scooping her petite body up from the floor and into his arms. Standing, the Big Guy looked softly down at Jennifer as he curled her closer to his torso. Something glimmered on his face as he cradled her flush to his chest.

"Rodney?" John called, but the scientist's attention was again focused on the device; inspecting and searching each inch of it, "_Rodney!_"

"_What_?"

"Do you concur?" John asked slowly, like Rodney had difficulty understanding speech.

Rodney flapped his arms in a gesture they supposed was a shrug, "Might as well. We won't be able to know if shutting down the device worked until she wakes up."

"All right," John agreed, trading a relieved glance with Teyla and then glancing down to McKay, who was gathering his belongings together, "Let's go home."

-----

As they trekked back to the gate, Ronon cradled Jennifer in his arms. Behind him, Rodney muttered to himself and the others could catch snatches of his murmured, one-person conversation,

"Overloaded the… chain reaction…. potentially boiled the system… scan… closer look… Zelenka… science team…"

John shook his head, leaning in closer to Teyla, "There he goes again."

"He does seem rather," Teyla glanced back over her shoulder at the quietly babbling scientist, "Intrigued."

"At least he's not pouting anymore," John sighed, glancing back at Ronon with Doc tucked carefully in his arms. Hiking a thumb over his shoulder, he asked, "You know anything about that?"

"I do not," Teyla responded, sending a surreptitious glance in the Big Guy's direction, "He has been amazingly tight-lipped on the subject."

"More so than usual," He murmured his agreement, "Doc say anything to you?"

"She did not."

Sheppard and Teyla headed up the group; Ronon carrying Jen walked behind them, Rodney behind them, and Evan walked quietly in the back.

"Why are we walking all this way again?" McKay asked in the midst of vague silence.

"You want to get home, don't you?" John threw over his shoulder.

"Yes," Rodney's reply was brusque, "But why are we _walking_?"

"No way we get a jumper down in all this brush," Evan explained, inhaling deeply, "Besides, walking supposed to be one of the best exercises you could do," Coming up beside McKay; Evan clapped the scientist on the shoulder, "Wait till Doc wakes up; she'll tell you all about it."

"Ye-ah, I'll get right on that," Rodney muttered under his breath, stumbling a bit over a root that stuck up from the ground. Perhaps taking pity on him, Evan reached out and swung one of Rodney's bags of equipment off the scientist's shoulders and up onto his own.

Peering back, this time it was Teyla who nudged John's arm. When he too glanced back, it seemed the scientist and the Major had called some kind of truce as they trudged along side-by-side.

Steps ahead of them, Ronon walked on his own; cradling Jennifer close to him. He walked softly; protecting her from being jarred and jostled. His face was shuttered, but his eyes shone as he looked down at her. A soft smile fell over Teyla's face as she saw past her friend's mask to the feelings he'd hidden about the petite doctor for so long.

He was in love.

-------

The earlier craziness was repeated as Ronon carried Jennifer's unconscious form into the infirmary. Carson was directing traffic and questioning Lorne and McKay at the same time. The nurses in the infirmary were hovering and rushing at Carson's orders, and Kiryk met John and Teyla off to the side and out of the way of the bustling medical professionals.

"What happened?" Kiryk asked, nodding once towards the crowd.

"Ronon shot the device," John informed him dryly.

The former Runner's eyebrows shot upwards, "He shot it?"

"Indeed," Teyla confirmed with a nod of her head, "Ronon's impatience began too great when Rodney started to sound even more disheartened."

"So how will we know if it worked?" Kiryk's eyes darted from John and Teyla to the crowd around Jennifer's inert body. Carson and a nurse worked busily around her; Ronon and Evan hadn't wandered too far from the bed. McKay too, stood with them, and all three wore worried expressions, and by the looks of it; not a barb was traded among them.

"McKay says we won't know if everybody's been rearranged until they wake up," John explained, using his index fingers as he spoke to demonstrate _rearranged_, "But he did say that it was powering down."

"That's a good sign," Kiryk muttered in a low tone, watching as their doctor worked around his friend. Stripping off a pair of gloves and tossing them in a nearby trash receptacle, Carson approached them.

"Well, all of her vitals are good and stable; they both seem ta'be in good health," Carson rubbed his hands together before tugging on the sleeves of his doctor's coat, "It'd be my opinion that the stress of one consciousness exited the brain, and another re-entering was what caused the two of them to fall unconscious," He sighed, seeing the tight expressions on all of their faces before he too, turned to gaze back at their sleeping friend, "We jus'hav'ta wait it out. We'll know for sure that everythin' went smoothly when they wake up."

-------

Some had duties to attend to. John had left to meet with Woolsey. McKay had gathered all his science equipment and Zelenka; and the two were holed up in a lab; pouring over scans of the body-switching device.

Teyla had excused herself to go mediate; Evan had given Ronon a parting clap on the bicep and squeezed Jennifer's cool hand, and presumably, he was off to inform Laura of the goings-on. Carson had eventually retreated back to his desk.

Ronon and Kiryk remained in the infirmary. Ronon in a chair beside Jennifer's bed; Kiryk standing on the other side of the bed, his arms crossed and shoulders leaning against the wall. Both men were quietly contemplative; their eyes on the silent, sleeping blonde woman between them.

------

"So, they won't know anything until she wakes up?" Laura asked in a low voice.

"Yup," Evan nodded, "I tell ya Cadman, the way she went down," He leaned forward on the out-of-the-way bench they occupied; elbows digging into his thighs.

Laura leaned back her head resting against the wall. Taking a deep breath in; she released it in a sigh, asking, "But she was okay? I mean, there's no reason why she wouldn't wake up?"

"Beckett said everything was good," Evan craned his neck to look back at her without sitting up, "Normal. Just the whole switcheroo was too much stress for the brain to handle, which is why she passed out."

"_They_ passed out," Laura reminded him, "Jen and Kiryk were in the middle of a tour around the city when you all pushed the button," She paused, blinked, "Or _shot _the button, rather."

"I don't think he could wait any longer," Evan observed quietly before asking, "Did you threaten Ronon with _Nair_?"

Immediately demure, Laura sat up and pressed a hand over her collarbone, "Would _I_ do that?"

"Yes, you'd do that," He returned, shaking his head, "I had to explain to him what _Nair _was."

A snort of laugher escaped before she could quell it. Evan was shaking his head again.

"So it may have come up," She shrugged, her face innocent.

"It came up?" Evan replied incredulously.

"Yep," Laura gave a precise nod, "Like I'm sure it came up with you."

Evan gave her an odd look, "Sorry to burst your bubble there Cadman, but Ronon and I don't normally sit around and gab about hair removal products," He gave an exaggerated shrug as he pulled a face a bit on the silly-side, "Just not our thing."

Frowning, she gave him a light push in the arm, "No you goof. I mean you and Ronon probably had a _gab _as to his intentions."

Trying to narrow his eyes and widen them at the same time made for a strange expression as Evan peered at Laura, demanding, "Did you _bug _me?"

"No," She laughed, first at his facial expression and then at the shocked and apprehension in his voice, "Of course I _bug _you; but I didn't _bug _you."

This time, his eyes did the same thing at the same time as he squinted at her, "Did you just admit to being annoying?"

"No, you're easily annoyed," She threw back tartly, and he squinted harder at her. Miming poking him in the eye; Stooge-style, Laura explained, "I _know_ you. You're just as protective as I am. Probably even more than I am."

"What makes you say that?"

"You with your list of odd behavior," She teased, and he knocked his shoulder against hers, "You're _that's my girl_ exclamation."

He chuckled at that, "I was _sure_ Ronon was gonna come across the table, or at least _growl_. But the Big Guy didn't even _blink_."

"He was otherwise engaged," Laura giggled, and the two adopted the same pose; sitting back with the crown of their heads leaning back against the wall.

As if drawn in that direction, they both turned so that their eyes met; the faces close. A light smile was tugging on Evan's mouth, and as his lips curled into a grin; soon Laura was returning the motion.

It would take little effort for either of them to lean in the scantest amount, and that little motion was all it took as both shifted. The tips of their noses touched the slightest bit, and that was all it took for reality to set in and effectively douse a bucket of frigid water over the moment.

Laura jerked backwards, her head cracking against the wall. Evan bounced from his seat, getting all the way up as he rocked on the balls of his feet. Running a hand through his hair, the anxious Major managed to stutter,

"Uh, well, uh, I should be getting back. I've got, you know, stuff."

She nodded rapidly, as if she understood what he was talking about, even adding her own to it, "Yeah, I mean, yeah, totally. Me too. I got _stuff _too."

Drawing his tongue away from being clenched between his teeth long enough to utter, "I'll—uh—I'll see you later Cad—Laura," Evan disappeared around the ornate corner nearly the second the final syllable slipped past his lips, leaving Laura to stare at his vapor trail and mutter,

"Later Evan."


	16. The Return

**Chapter Sixteen:** The Return

**Author's Notes: **Here's chapter 16. Guess who's back? *grins*

----

"Ah, Mr. Woolsey," Carson met Woolsey as Atlantis' CO walked briskly into the infirmary, "There ya're."

"Doctor Beckett," Woolsey returned the greeting, "You said you had a proposal."

"It's not quite a proposal, more of a proposition," Carson corrected, and then turned his attention back to the patient on the bed, "Alright now Ms. Banks. Just take these," He handed her two pills in a small, plastic packet, "And get some rest. That should fix that headache up."

"Thanks Doc," The gate room tech offered the doctor a smile, then slid off the infirmary bed, pills in hand. Nodding to Woolsey as she passed, Amelia departed the infirmary, no one noticing the brief look she sent in the partially curtained off portion of the infirmary. On one side, lay the unconscious and guarded Neeva; on the other, the also unconscious Jennifer, but with a concerned Ronon at her bedside. In an opening of the curtain, Amelia could see him, seated in an uncomfortable looking chair that was too small for him, and watching the bed where the doctor lay.

"Your proposition then, Doctor," Woolsey prompted, following as Carson went 'round the bed and crossed the infirmary to a corner table.

"Ah yes, well, as you well know; when our Jennifer and Kiryk first arrived, we did a scan to be sure that Kiryk's implant hadn't managed to reactivate itself," Carson began, picking up a tablet from the table, and activating it with a touch, "It hadn't, but when I was going over the scans, I was thinking that there may be a way to extract the device."

"If the device has been deactivated, and Doctor McKay assures me that it is very unlikely that the device will reactivate on its own," Woolsey inquired, "Why would we attempt to extract the device? It seems as though we'd have no cause to remove it."

"Rodney is probably perfectly accurate in his assumption that the trackin' device will not reactivate," Carson admitted, showing Woolsey the tablet, "But we cannot say for certain that the device will never reactivate. The Wraith technology we've come into contact with as been organic, and the scans indicate that it is the same for this implant. If it is, it may be able to re-grow the electronic pathways and reactivate the tracking signal. If we were to make an incision right here," Carson pointed to the tablet's screen as he spoke, showing Woolsey his plan, "Between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, we should be able to safely exercise the strands of the device, and unwind it from around Kiryk's spinal cord."

"_Should_ be able to?" The IOA investigator turned expedition leader latched onto the pivotal word in Carson's explanation, "Despite the fact that we have no idea if our guest would even consent to the surgery, what kinds of risks are possible with the procedure?"

"With a procedure this delicate, with any procedure really, there are always risks," The doctor explained, "There is a chance that Kiryk could end up with brain damage, memory loss, perhaps even paralysis. There's even a chance that he wouldn't make it through the surgery."

Woolsey appeared to be pondering the possibilities, lifting a hand to point at the doctor beside him, "You believe that removing the implant is possible, worthwhile perhaps, even considering the risks?"

"It can be done," Carson affirmed, "I've mapped out the procedure, and I know that it is a delicate surgery, but I believe that between the two of us, Doctor Keller and I can rid this poor fellow of what's been haunting him for so long."

"A noble sentiment," Woolsey agreed, once again peering at the tablet, before looking up and across the room to where Kiryk stood with Ronon and Major Lorne at Doctor Keller's bedside, "But none of this is of any consequence unless Mr. Kiryk consents to the procedure."

"Aye," Carson nodded, following Woolsey's line of sight until he too came upon Kiryk standing at the unconscious Jennifer's bedside; concern evident as the man looked down at the sleeping blonde, "He's wary and skeptical and rightly so. But he's got a real soft spot for the lass."

"Indeed he does," Nodding, Woolsey brought his attention back from the partitioned end of the infirmary to the corner he and Carson still stood in, "When she wakes up, bring it to her attention. If Doctor Keller concurs with your findings, we'll have her put it to him. He trusts her, and will be more likely to listen if it comes from Doctor Keller. If Doctor Keller agrees with your findings, and if Kiryk consents provided he fully understands the risks involved, you have a go-ahead."

"Thank you sir," Carson allowed himself a tiny smile, and with the same brisk step that had brought him into the infirmary, Woolsey departed. Returning the tablet to its place on the table, Carson again glanced over to the end of the infirmary where Jennifer and Neeva were recuperating. Both women were stable; the test results were trickling in, and everything so far appeared to be normal. However Carson had ordered another test for Jennifer, suspicions pricking at the back of his mind. Certain previous test results, coupled with other physical alterations couldn't be ignored. He'd preformed this last test himself; wanting to preserve what was left of her privacy for the time being.

"Doctor," A nurse's voice, coming from behind the curtain, called his attention. Following the sound, Carson found the nurse standing beside Neeva's beside, "I think she's coming around."

----

"Hey Ronon," It was late that evening, when John wandered into the infirmary, finding Ronon still folded into a small, uncomfortable looking chair at the doctor's bedside, "She wake up yet?"

"Nah, not yet," Ronon shook his head, hands folded together and resting just above his belly, "She hasn't moved. Beckett says she should wake up anytime. It's just a matter of waiting it out."

John nodded, "You gonna wait around till it does?" Ronon cocked his head back, lifting an eyebrow. His silence was answer enough for John. Knowing he would do the same in Ronon's place, John couldn't argue, "Fine, you eat yet?" This time Ronon shook his head, and John sighed, "I'll grab you something from the mess."

"Thanks," Ronon's eyes returned to Jennifer's still form and the large man somehow managed to sink even lower in his little chair.

"So, uh, you and Doc," John observed, crossing his arms and leaning one hip against a nearby bed, "You two are gettin' pretty close there eh?"

Not lifting his eyes from Jennifer, Ronon called back to the lounging Lieutenant Colonel, "You aiming for something John?"

"Just saying," John shrugged innocently, "You and the Doc don't seem to have much in common, is all."

Ronon was silent for a few moments, pushing his thumbs together as he held his hands over his stomach, before muttering, "She apologized for that."

Confused, John raised an eyebrow, squinting at the back of Ronon's head, "She apologized because you don't have a lot in common?"

"After the fake outbreak last year, we were talking, about things that'd happened in the past, and she apologized."

"For what?"

"She said that it sounded like she was comparing her problems to mine, and that she was sorry because she wasn't trying to, and obviously something like being a outsider growing up is nothing like what I went through," Ronon turned his head to look at John then back again so that when he started talking, it would be to her pale form, still laying inert on the bed. Sitting forward and unfolding his hands, he took one of her hands in his. Stroking a thumb across her knuckles, he spoke in hushed tones, "I didn't think you were doing that, but you did," Ronon's voice was quiet and fierce, "I _never_ want you to have those memories. I don't want anyone to, especially you."

Watching his big, intimidating, _mighty_ friend hunched into the molded plastic chair at the bedside of the petite, blonde doctor, holding her hand, John had to realize something. He saw that there was far more than he'd known between the blonde doctor and his brooding best friend. The clear, obvious worry and affection displayed on Ronon's face took John aback. _How_ had he missed this? How had no one seen what was playing out right in front of them?

"Ronon," Laying a hand on the big man's shoulder, John clasped the spring-loaded muscles, trying to convey some sort of solidarity, "She's gonna be okay. Pretty soon she'll be up, runnin' around here; scolding you about your perpetual need for stitches."

Ronon nodded dimly, his eyes trained on Jennifer's closed lids. He didn't answer in words, instead tightened his fingers around Jennifer's.

Sticking his hands into his BDU pants pockets, John asked in a voice low enough for only Ronon to hear, "Have you told her?"

"Told her what?" Ronon asked absently, running one hand gently up Jennifer's arm to the elbow and back down to her wrist.

"That you love her," Straightforward; John had decided in the minute, was the best way to go, "That's why you've been so damn grumpy. You're in love with her, and she—Neeva dumped you cold, and then started up with Rodney."

"John," Ronon called quietly, but Sheppard was on a roll,

"Man, I thought that you were just hanging out," Maybe straightforward had gotten away from him as he broke out into a ramble. Clearly, he'd been spending too much time with Rodney, "I kind of thought you were starting to ditch Teyla, McKay, and me for Doc, Lorne, and Cadman. And then you came back, but you were as prickly as all hell. Some of the Marines were whispering after training sessions about bein' careful not to poke the bear."

"John," Ronon called a little louder, but the other man still wasn't listening.

"But it all, it makes sense now. You and Doc, okay maybe not the most obvious couple. But that doesn't mean anything, I mean look at Colonel Carter and General O'Neill. They weren't either, at one time, but you hear the news from the new boys and girls coming here on the Daedelus from the SGC. Hey," John paused in his rambling to ask curiously, "Is there a Pegasus version of opposites attract?"

"John!" Ronon called a third time, finally catching his rambling friend's attention.

"What?" The Lieutenant Colonel looked up to find Ronon looking back at him; shaking his head with a smirk, "What?"

"You're right," Ronon admitted, sobering, "And no I—I haven't told her yet. So—"

"Not a word," He quickly agreed, "I'm just surprised that no one's noticed yet. It's just so _obvious_."

Ronon snorted, "You mean like you and Teyla?"

Again, John was taken aback; his head actually pulling back so that his chin nearly met his neck, "What you talkin'bout?"

"John," Ronon chortled, turning in his tiny chair to look dubiously at his friend, "It's me you're talking to here. I know you, and I know Teyla. I'm not blind, man. You _like_ her."

"Hey now buddy. One romance at a time," John scurried to cover the emotions that were bubbling up to the surface, but Ronon caught more than enough of a glimpse to know his assumptions were correct, "B-but yeah. I do," The two of them shifted awkwardly, both men uncomfortable with the romantic turn of their conversation. John cleared his throat with authority, and clapped Ronon once again on the shoulder before offering, "I'll bring you that sandwich from the mess."

"Thanks," Ronon waited until John had exited the infirmary before slumping back into his uncomfortable plastic chair and tightening his hand around hers, "You hear that? I've got something real important to tell you. You just gotta wake up to hear it. C'mon, show me those pretty eyes again. You can do it. I know you can."

He watched her face closely for moments that seemed to last forever. But to no avail. There was no movement behind her closed eyelids. Ronon sighed disappointedly, the worries and emotions of the past few days; hell the past few _months_ settling heavily on him. Wearily, he let his head fall back and scrubbed with his free hand over the growing scruff along his jaw.

He'd nearly dropped off to sleep, right in that infirmary, meant-to-be-occupied-in-the-short-term –by-short-people chair when a twitch from her hand in his instantly brought him around and to his feet, "Jennifer?"

"Hey," She rasped, and the corners of his mouth pulled into a smile to see her eyes open and to hear her voice,

"Hi."

"I'm me again," Jennifer murmured reverently, her voice rough from sleep, holding her hands out in front of her, clearly delighted at the sight of her own hands.

"That's right," Ronon smoothed her hair back on her forehead, continuing to gently stroke the top of her head. She sighed at the feel of his fingers soothing touch on her scalp, "You're back."


	17. I'd Come For You

**Chapter Seventeen**: I'd Come For You

**Author's Notes: **Wooo-hooo! Chapter seventeen, wow. I think that makes this story my longest one. :) Anyways, thanks to all of my reviewers. Love reading each of your comments.

This chapter's title is inspired by the **Nickelback** song, _I'd Come For You_. Enjoy!

-------------------

"Everythin' appears to be fine lass," Carson offered a soothing smile as he patted Jennifer's arm lightly; "Ye're back to yer ol'self. Physically, I mean. How's your head fairin' darlin'?"

"I'm all right. Thank you Carson," Jennifer assured, laying her hand atop of Carson's. She glanced past him, and Carson turned to find a sheepish Ronon; hands tucked into his pockets. How he had managed to approach without making a sound often baffled the doctor. For someone Ronon's size and breadth to simply appear, without warning, without even a squeak of the floor tiles spoke volumes.

And what of that Ronon hadn't left Jennifer's side since they had returned from the planet? Squeezed into a chair that looked to be more than two sizes too small for the Satedan's tall, muscular frame; Ronon had held vigil at her bedside until the blonde doctor had opened her eyes and smiled up at him with the kind of recognition he had craved over the past months. Carson couldn't help but smile at the effect Jennifer's return had on the big man.

Still, he was hovering; anxious to hear the final word on her condition. Carson covered a smile and made his parting remarks to give the two a moment alone.

"Well then, I'll leave ya in Ronon's capable hands," Carson released Jennifer's arm to walk away. The pleasant doctor made to move away as Ronon made to move in beside Jennifer's bed; clapping the younger man on one muscled shoulder clad in a soft, worn linen shirt as he passed.

"Hey," Ronon scuffed his boot along a line in the floor as he came to stand at the side of Jennifer's infirmary bed.

"Hi," She returned almost shyly, picking at the sheet that pooled in her lap.

Raising his head from looking down at his boots, Ronon treated Jennifer to one of his rare smiles that lit his handsome face and brightened his mischievous eyes, and made it impossible for Jennifer not to return it, "Beckett clear you?"

"Yeap. Which is great, because I can_not _wait to get out of this bed," She moved to push back the blanket and slip out of the bed, but Ronon was quicker, and Jennifer found herself quickly deposited back under the thin blanket with Ronon's big hands tucking her back in,

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked gruffly, one hand leaving the blanket to gently cup her shoulder and ease her back into the bed, "You need to rest, remember?"

"Carson didn't say that," Jennifer protested with a tiny pout, and Ronon felt his insides waiver, but he brought himself back around,

"No, but you just woke up," His hand slid from her shoulder to feather his fingers around her neck, "From having your consciousness switched from one body to another. I think that warrants taking it easy for awhile, don't you?"

"Since when have you advocated staying in the infirmary?" She grumbled quietly as she allowed Ronon to tuck the blankets back around her.

Ronon sighed deeply; his green eyes softly meeting her hazel ones, "I'm not taking any chances with your health. Even if that means not helping you escape for another day or so."

"Another _day_?" Groaning, Jennifer flopped back against her pillow and huffed out a breath, "_Fine_," And then her expression changed and a smile budded at the corners of her mouth and she leaned up closer to him as he bent over her bed.

The arching of her back, the subtle curving of her lips, and the intoxicating scent that was exactly what he had always associated with Jennifer as she lifted herself towards him made Ronon's personal resolve to wait until she'd recuperated all the more taxing. He felt the soft press of her lips against his whiskered cheek, and it nearly undid him. Her breath was hot against his skin as she whispered in his ear, "How'd I get so lucky as to have you?"

The words were garbled in his throat, and he never got the chance to respond when the excited voice of a certain weapons specialist reached their ears,

"Hey!" Laura practically bounded over to her bedside and hauled her into a celebratory, if one-armed hug, "You're awake!"

"I'm awake," Jennifer replied, grinning widely as Kiryk and Evan appeared too, trailing behind the exuberant redhead, "Hey guys."

"Welcome back Doc," Evan breathed easier, looking for and finding Jennifer behind her own eyes once again. Laura released Jennifer, and took a step back so that she stood on one side of Kiryk and could peer around the big man to occasionally glance at Evan.

"Jennifer," Kiryk greeted solemnly, but there was a twinkling in his eyes.

"Kiryk," She smiled, "Are Evan and the others taking good care of you?"

His answer was a nod, "They have been very gracious."

"Glad to hear it," Jennifer tried to keep the smile on her face, but it faltered slightly as she glanced once again over to the bed Neeva occupied, "How is she?"

A curtain had been pulled between the beds; separating the occupants. But Jennifer could still peer around its edge and see her. She could see the shadows move on the other side of the curtain and know exactly who was on the other side. She now had her own body back; she had herself back. But the cause, the catalyst for her loss of self was just across the room, and the premise itself was unnerving.

"Doc Beckett says she's doing fine," Evan informed her, sensing more than seeing the stress that ebbed and flowed from his friend, "She was out of it for a while, like you, but she woke up first."

There was a moment of tension there; where none of them really knew what to say. Jennifer was back; back in Atlantis, back in her own skin; but the cause for the chaos and mayhem of the past few months was lying not more than seven yards away from them. There wasn't much any of them could do to fix the unease; other than assure Jennifer that she'd never been left alone with her former captor. This is what Evan immediately did,

"We've had at least one guard on her at all times," He explained succinctly, "Ronon's been with you since we got back, and between the guards, the Big Guy, Doctor Beckett, and your staff, and rest of us checking in on you constantly, there's no way she could pull something again."

"Thanks you, all of you," Jennifer followed a circular pattern as she looked at each one of her friends that surrounded her bed. Tearing, the young MD intoned, "It really means a lot to me."

"Jen," Laura and Evan both reached out an arm this time, and the three bent their heads together as each hugged the blonde in the middle. Evan's voice was low, but all around Jennifer could hear him, "We will _always_ have your back."

"_Remember _that one girl," Laura added firmly, and succinct nods followed from both of the ex-Runners.

When the Major and the Lieutenant released her; Jennifer first held her arms to Kiryk, who obligingly leaned down to accept the offered gesture, "Don't you dare say I told you so," Jennifer chuckled into his shoulder, causing a smile to light momentarily across Kiryk's face,

"Would I?" He responded questioningly as he took a step back, allowing for Ronon to complete the circle and hug her too. As he leaned in to wrap his muscled arms around her slight frame, his lips dusted over the shell of her ear, uttering a promise of his own,

"_I will always come for you_."

"I hope," The look on Kiryk's face as he broke the quiet that had enveloped them as Ronon helped Jennifer resituate herself in the bed, if worn by anyone else, would have had to be described as sly, "That we didn't intrude on anything by joining the two of you."

A strangled bit of a squeak came from Jennifer, and Ronon tried his hardest to keep his expression nonchalant. That was getting more difficult, the more time he spent around these people, "No, we're good. It's okay," He offered what would pass for a flash of a reassuring smirk.

Kiryk regarded first the other former Runner and then his doctor-friend with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing. Laura turned to Evan, and fluttered her eyelashes at him. The Major's response was to jerk backward, narrowly avoiding colliding with a passing nurse with a tray of newly sterilized surgical implements. A hand clamped over her mouth, the Lieutenant's shoulders shook as she laughed. Both Kiryk and Ronon turned to look at him; their simultaneous expression one they saved for occasions when they thought McKay had gone insane. But it was Jennifer's glance that disconcerted him the most; as behind her smile there was a knowing look he knew he'd come to regret.

"Hello all," John's voice broke the stalemate and the group turned to find the Lieutenant Colonel standing there with his trademark smirk and out-of-control hair and with Teyla at his elbow, "Mind if we join?"

"Of course," Jennifer grinned, taking the hand Teyla extended and giving it a squeeze, "How are you?"

"That is the question I wish to ask of you," Teyla replied with an easy smile, "How are you Jennifer?"

"Yeah Doc, everybody back where they're supposed to be?" John joked, earning himself a pair of rolled eyes from Teyla.

"Yes sir, it's just me in my own head again," Shrugging her shoulders high enough to reach her ears, Jennifer released a happy little sigh, "It is so good to be me again."

"We are all very thankful to have you returned," Teyla expressed returning the offered squeeze to Jennifer's hand.

"Some more than others," Evan mumbled to himself, and as people had been jostled to accommodate Teyla and John in the group, Laura had a clear shot to poke him stoutly in the ribs. On the other side of the mangled circle, John was having a similar thought process as he sent a sideways glance at Ronon. The Big Guy responded with a subtle shake of his head, his eyes darting over the group before returning to the woman on the bed and while his expression remained unchanged; there was tenderness in his gaze as she smiled.

"Well," Clearing his throat with a forced cough, John observed, "Rodney's excited to have a new toy to study," Shaking his head, the Lieutenant Colonel ran a hand through his haphazard hair, "He's been holed up with Zelenka in a lab ever since we got back, pouring over every scan he took of that thing."

"How much you wanna bet he wants to go back there with a science team?" Evan posed with a weary sigh. He tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, "And as much scientific-al equipment as the team who has the _pleasure _of accompanying them."

"Is that your way of asking for the gig Major?" Barely masking his glee in that statement, John clapped the younger officer on the shoulder, "Then it's all yours. Have a _blast_."

"With all due respect sir," Evan staved off the shakes, "But if I might say, I don't think I'm quite the one for the job in this instance."

"Are you trying to worm your way out of an afternoon with McKay?" The Lieutenant Colonel feigned shock, arching a brow as high as he could, "That is _so _unlike you Major."

"I merely meant that there are other teams who have yet to endure the pleasure of McKay's company," Evan explained innocently, "Why should we limit that particular thrill to a select few? Instead, I vote that we share the annoyance—I mean joy."

"Careful Major," John chastised evenly, "You're almost knee-deep in it."

A sheepish look passed over Evan's face.

--------

Across the infirmary, Carson smiled as he watched Jennifer be peppered with questions and smiles alike. The young blonde simply grinned, answered, and bore it.

"Doctor," Marie arrived at his side silently, and handed him a tablet, "The test results you asked for? They're in. I think you're going to want to take a good look at them."

"Thank you Marie," Carson took the tablet, turning to the side as he inspected the readout on the screen. The doctor's eyes flew wide open, then slid shut. He sighed; heavy on the exhale. Looking up, he once again focused on the group surrounding the petite blonde forcibly ensconced in the infirmary bed. Chewing the inside of his cheek, Carson swore under his breath, "Bloody hell."

_If it wasn't one thing…_


	18. Revelations

**Chapter Eighteen: **Revelations

**Author's Notes: **Woo-hoo! Here comes Chapter Eighteen! This chapter's a little shorter than the norm (sorry), but all kinds happens, so hopefully that makes up for it?

Thank you to everyone for the lovely reviews. :) They make me happy! I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter! :p

-----

He had to tell her. He had to break the news to her. As distasteful as the situation could be; Jennifer deserved to know what had happened to her own body and Carson was the one who had to tell her. He watched the group that surrounded her bed from across the infirmary. She had finally returned to them; had finally gained control over her own skin, only to have that control stolen right out from under her once again.

Carson felt for the young lass. She'd been stolen from those who loved her; from herself; and been transported into what must have seemed like a nightmare. Stranded, in a body that wasn't hers; where the continuous cries of "off with her head" were repeated like a mantra until she could hear nothing else.

But Jennifer had managed to turn it all around for herself. She had escaped. She'd gathered her wits and made a plan and she'd escaped. And, in the midst of the entire, insane mess she'd taken pause. In the middle of her quest to get home, she stopped to find the cure for a village of complete strangers.

The thought of his pupil's actions elicited a proud smile, and Carson mentally acknowledged that the woman had, as some of the Marines would say, balls.

But right now; he had to be the one to break her returning spirit.

Carson knew he had to tell her. But seeing her sitting there, finally back as her own skin, with her friends around her; with a smile on her face, it made the doctor leery of breaking her happy moment. He pondered waiting, letting her have a few more of those good moments before shattering her return with his news. But the longer he waited, the bigger his news would get, and he couldn't in good conscious put it off much longer.

And so, Carson approached the group, trying to mask his trepidation.

"Hey Doc!" John grinned, and side-stepped closer to Teyla to make room for Carson, "How's little Doc? Back to normal?"

Jennifer offered him a smile, and Carson gave her shoulder a light squeeze, "She's back with us Colonel an' we all should be glad for that."

The doctor's last sentence was faintly reminiscent of the repetitive sentiment each of them had shared in congratulating Jennifer on her triumphant return, and the Lieutenant Colonel, the Major, and the Lieutenant found themselves all snickering lightly to themselves. Ronon and Kiryk remained characteristically stoic; as per their usual, and Teyla's expression carried more mirth than was her norm.

"Well that's good then," Evan grinned, giving his pseudo little sister a conspiratory wink, "We need somebody to keep Cadman here in line," He hiked a thumb in the redheaded Lieutenant's direction, "Wouldn't you agree Jen?"

The MD merely squinted at the Major, while the Lieutenant pinned him with a glare that had Major Lorne ducking his head and looking away.

At first, Jennifer seemed to laugh along with the rest as Evan paled slightly under Laura's glare. Until the blonde woman gave a pained groan and lowered her head to be cradled in her hands.

"Ooh," Jennifer pressed a hand against her forehead. A wave of dizziness struck her, and she had to lean back against the pillow on the infirmary bed. Ronon, who hadn't strayed from her side, was quickly leaning down to press a cool hand to her forehead,

"Jennifer? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a little dizzy, I'll be fine. It's probably just a side-effect from the switch," Jennifer had lifted her face from her hands to look at Ronon, and she pushed a small smile to her lips as he watched her carefully.

And then, Carson took this as his moment. He could offer her an explanation as to her symptoms, and while he wished that the news bore, perhaps gladder, less bamboozling tidings for his newly-returned friend and colleague; it was what it was, and he had to tell her the truth.

"I need to talk to the lass, privately, if you all don't mind," Carson took this moment to inquire, feeling it as good as any that would present themselves.

"That's our cue," John quipped, extending an arm to gesture the group off in one direction. Teyla gave Jennifer's hand a final squeeze before following John as he moved off, boisterously asking Kiryk how the muscular man felt about sparring. Evan and Laura followed after the two reluctantly, and Kiryk aimed a look at Jennifer, who signaled that she would be all right. He acquiesced, and followed the group across the infirmary, where they congregated by the door, and went no further.

Ronon was the only one left. He hadn't made his exit, as Jennifer still held his hand in hers. Carson gave him a look that was a clear instruction for Ronon to excuse himself, and while Jennifer went to protest, Ronon nodded,

"I'll be right over there with Sheppard," He assured her, gently squeezing her hand, "If you need me."

-----

The one they called Doctor Beckett had asked to speak to Jennifer alone. She could tell because Ronon, who hadn't left Jennifer's side that she'd seen, reluctantly moved away from the blonde woman's bedside. The big man had been a constant presence beside her since she'd returned. He'd been there when she woke up, and he'd remained there until this very moment, and his few strides away from his woman's bedside made her anxiety levels reach near-critical mass.

Neeva wasn't sure what she was thinking when she beckoned for Ronon to come to her. The tall man scowled, his dislike for her apparent, and he took no pains to hide it. His jaw clenched tightly, he broke off from standing with Sheppard, and a few clipped strides brought him to her corner of the infirmary. Standing tensely a step or so away from her, Ronon crossed well-muscled arms and barked out, "What?"

"There's something I have to tell you," She glanced past his imposing stature, she saw that Doctor Beckett was informing Jennifer. The blonde doctor's face had gone pale, and she gripped the drab, standard issue bed sheets in clenched fists.

"What?" He hissed; the scowl still firmly in place.

"Uh, well. You see, there's something that you need to know," She began with a bit of a stumble. And then Jennifer's hazel eyes were burning holes in her.

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. _

----

She could hardly believe her ears. Listening to Carson as he explained the different tests and their respective, but unified results; Jennifer sat motionless on the infirmary bed. She was absolutely still; with her hands clenched in the thin infirmary-issue sheets.

And then it all made sense. The appearance of the flowing shirts, and the looser fitting jackets. The dizziness in the conference room. Her own dizzy spell just moments ago. Neeva's eyes darting to her; as if she had something more to tell. Jennifer had earlier attributed that to the stress of the situation, of being caught, of having her plan fall through. But now, she saw clearly; that assumption had been off the mark.

Jennifer hadn't realized she gotten out of bed until her bare feet touched the cold floor. Ducking under Carson's extended steadying and restraining arm, and ignoring his call of, "Come now lass, you're not quite steady on your feet yet," She actually managed to forge a fairly straight path across the infirmary to where Neeva sat, oddly enough, with a scowling Ronon.

"Jennifer?" Ronon called softly, reaching out to her as she passed him; his fingers whispering over the too-big scrubs shirt hung like a tent over her slight frame, "What's going on?"

For once though, she didn't notice Ronon any more than peripherally. Instead, she drew an accusatory, pointing finger and demanded harshly from the meek-looking thief sitting on the infirmary bed, staring at her with narrowed, accusing eyes, "What. Did you. _Do_?"

"Me?" It took Neeva a moment to recover from Jennifer's accusations, "Oh no honey. I did _nothing _to create or exacerbate your _condition_. This one," The thief intoned sharply, her tone implying that she was deeply insulted by the insinuation as she pointed towards the bump of Jennifer's belly hidden beneath the scrubs shirt she wore, "_Is all you_." And that was all it took for the secret burden that she had been carrying to be shed, and she breathed easier, felt lighter, for it.

Jennifer felt the righteous bluster drain out of her and she sagged; her knees weak, "M-m-m-me?" She stuttered then wobbled; and a concerned Ronon swept her off her unstable feet and into his arms, "Oh god."

"Jennifer?" His voice was hushed, his lips hovering above her ear, as he drew her from the floor and tight against him, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I—oh god. Holy shit," Jennifer as she tried her best to quell the hitch in her breathing, "_Ho-ly_. _Shit_."

"Doc?" John and Carson crossed the infirmary in large strides, bringing the two of them to her side almost immediately. Teyla too, was close behind them, and had soon crossed the room to hover closely, ready if needed, "You okay?"

"Jen?" Laura, Evan, and Kiryk were clustered once again by the head of her bed. Laura was concerned, Evan pensive, and Kiryk looked ready to tear down whomever she asked him to, as the ex-Runner's eyes slid dangerously from one of the infirmary's occupants to the other.

"Yeah, I," Jennifer managed to utter, regimentally breathing in, holding, and exhaling. Ronon returned her to her previously-occupied infirmary bed, keeping to her side and rubbing a large hand in circle patterns on her back comfortingly. Releasing another deep breath, Jennifer was again able to speak, "I'm okay," She shoved handfuls of her hair from her face and sighed. Oh god. _Ronon_. She had to tell Ronon.

"Apparently the Satedan had more of a claim in you than I'd previously anticipated," Neeva observed wryly. At her words, Jennifer's head jerked upwards, staring at the thief. Ronon's eyebrows shot up; nearly disappearing into his hair, his mind swirling with possible reactions, but was unable to settle on one. Teyla and John simply gaped; first at Jennifer, and then at each other. Carson's expression became as if a light bulb went off over his head, his eyes and lips forming _o_ shapes before he snapped back to his medically neutral expression,

"Yes, yes, of course."

"One of you want to let the rest of the class in on whatever the hell's going on here?" John all but ordered when the silence continued. His perceptive eyes darted from one doctor to the other, before landing with a severe stare on the thief; who flinched under his gaze, but said nothing. Instead, Neeva looked away; sinking back to her bed with a heavy exhale.

"I jus—I just need to talk to Ronon," Here she gulped, glancing from John, Teyla, and Carson; everywhere but directly at Ronon, "Alone. Please."

John however, appeared to be able about to protest when a restrained, a dissuaded look from Teyla quashed that impulse, and the Lieutenant Colonel nodded, "We'll take that as our cue," He offered a strained smile, and placed a hand at the small of Teyla's back to guide the woman with him from the infirmary, "Call if you need us."

"What is it?" Ronon still stood beside her bed, his hand drifting from her back to take her hand, "Jennifer, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I know that this is a weird way, to tell you this, but really, I don't think I have much of a choice. And I really want you to be the first to hear this, instead of finding out when everybody else does. I don't think that it's really fair to do it like this, but," She was on a bit of a rant, and Ronon had to quietly call her attention back to the task at hand.

"Jennifer? Whatever it is, it doesn't matter where you tell me. Just tell me what's going on," The more she rambled, the more worried he was becoming. Was it because it was too bad for her to tell him? Was something wrong with her? Was she sick? The Ancestors help that thief/body-snatcher if she was. Was she afraid of his reaction? Ronon's mind raced at the possibilities, and though he offered voice to none of them; he couldn't help but follow in the fearful path of which they lead.

She hauled in as much oxygen as she could in one breath, trying desperately to bolster her courage as she tried to speak. She glanced once again over towards where Neeva was being held; but the curtain had been pulled shut and the guards had closed in around that section of the infirmary. Oh God, could she do this? Her stomach was rioting, her breath had decided to leave her completely, "Ronon, I—I, I'm pregnant."


	19. Announcements

**Chapter Nineteen: **Announcements

**Author's Notes: **Ha-ha! Chapter Nineteen has arrived! Whoo-hoo! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this next installment.

--------

Ronon felt like something had struck him. Had struck him physically in the chest and sent the oxygen rushing from his system. His mind was racing and stagnant at the same time. It was like he couldn't process what she was saying; her words weren't making sense and yet they were inspiring his galloping thoughts all in the same instant. She was going to be a _mother_. And he…

Her first thought was _oh god, he doesn't want the baby_. And she was working herself up to a right good panic when she saw the flashes of _defeat _and _disappointment _in his eyes. And she realized then that it wasn't his not wanting children; no his silence and distress was caused by a whole other reason, one that she quickly laid to rest.

"No, Ronon, no, oh god," Grabbing his large hand between both of his, Jennifer squeezed his fingers as hard as she could, "Ronon, _we're _pregnant."

It was a long silent few moments before he could form words again, "_We're_?"

"Yes, yes," She hastened to reassure, "_We're_; as in you and me. Us. _We are_. Me and you," Jennifer nodded rapidly, her head moving in a sort of bob that she eventually had to stop because she was getting dizzy, "We."

Ronon sat, dumfounded, for a moment. _Holy shit _seemed quite apt now. A _baby._ They were going to have a baby; he and Jennifer were going to have a _baby_.

_Holy shit_.

It was like the haze blocking his vision cleared and Ronon saw past it to her. Jennifer sat on the infirmary bed he'd tucked her into; the blankets haphazardly shoved away, her hand still clutching his. Her eyes were searching his face. Jennifer held herself fretfully, her posture tense and her spine ramrod straight; as she waited for his answer.

Which came in the form of a thunderous shout and a crushing hug. He could feel it as the relief went coursing through her body, as she became relaxed and pliant in his arms. Jennifer curled her arms around his neck, gripping tightly as Ronon lifted her free from the infirmary bed to haul her body flush against his. Leaning in impossibly closer, Ronon dipped his head and pressed his face into the soft groove where her shoulder and neck connected, inhaling deeply.

Jennifer laughed softly, and squirmed enough against his front to cause him to bite back a pleased groan. Ronon could feel her breath flit across his ear as she said blithely, "Y'know, I'm fairly certain this is how this whole thing started in the first place."

"Good," Ronon rumbled, his pitch low as always. Rubbing his whiskered chin against her skin he then pressed a kiss to the point where her neck and shoulder joined before pulling back and looking her in the eyes. Hazel ones that sparkled happily, "I won't have it any different."

She laughed again at that, letting her head fall back and exposing the satiny column of her throat. Growling in a low tone, Ronon leaned forward again to press a kiss to the underside of her jaw, and as the two drew closer, and their actions drew more and more heated, the mood was suddenly broken by a loud _harrumph _from a few feet behind them.

"It's good to see the two of ya gettin' in, uh," Carson paused, searching for a way to put it delicately, "Gettin' yourselves in order. But perhaps ya might want to do it in a place that's a wee bit more _private_?"

Jennifer sighed and started to pull away, and Ronon let her; setting her back onto the infirmary bed. Looking down at her, he found any exposed skin had turned an appealing blazing red,

"Sorry Carson," She stammered, "We—uh—we just got," She trailed off, no idea how to put it.

"S'alright darlin'," Carson soothed with a grin, "Ya got a bit of wonderful news, it's expected that you celebrate a wee bit," The MD grinned wider and shook his head a little, "But we wouldn't want any of these convalescing folks to faint dead away at what they were witnessin', do we?"

If it were possible, Jennifer went an even brighter red while Ronon simply gave a smug smirk, "Yes Carson."

The older doctor smiled at her, shaking his head a bit while her coloring returned to normal. He should have realized that the wheels in her head were turning at a rapid pace before she turned to her _partner-in-crime _and asked, "Maybe we should go for a walk, so that no one faints?"

"It's you I'm worried about fainting," Ronon replied gruffly, and Jennifer deflated comically,

"_I'm fine_."

"You could barely stand up," He pointed out matter-of-factly, and that defiant look of determination fell over her face,

"I'm _fine_," Jennifer protested once again, "It was just a mild shock, I got better."

Ronon glanced to Carson, knowing he'd get practically nowhere arguing with her, "What'd you think Doc?"

"You just got everything squared away lass, your body has been under quite a strain in the past few days," Carson explained calmly, seeing Ronon's problem, "You need rest darlin', even more so now."

"What I _need_," Jennifer emphasized the word, "Is to build up my strength while I don't look and feel like I swallowed an entire watermelon, whole."

"Now lass," Carson began, with Ronon shaking his head almost imperceivably. Clearly, the Big Guy was all ready aware of when arguing with his _woman _would be futile. She was staring him down with a glare that had even the most devout of the infirmary escapees cooling their heels in a bed for much longer than they had intended to without so much as a peep. With a sigh, Carson acquiesced, "All right lass. Have your walk. But make sure you take it easy, no pushing yourself too far too fast," He turned to meet Ronon's eyes, "Be sure she doesn't push herself too far now son."

Ronon nodded solemnly, while beside him Jennifer rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "I'm not an invalid."

"We're just being cautious now darlin'," Carson replied blandly, smiling sweetly at her.

"Better safe than sorry right Jennifer?" Ronon quipped, barely masking his grin.

With a huff, Jennifer crossed her arms loosely across her front, "Men."

-----

As they walked (slowly, as per doctor's orders) down the corridors, Jennifer had managed to wheedle Ronon into giving her at least the barest of detailing of what had transpired while she had been _away_. There were many points on which she wanted to comment, but kept them to herself until she could no longer hold it in.

"So, the other me just told you that she was interested in someone else, and you just walked away?" Jennifer smoother her hands over her burgeoning abdomen, the reality of the tiny life housed within her still elusive and magnificent to her, "Just like that?"

Ronon dipped his head once in a nod, "I thought that was what you wanted. You didn't want anyone to know about us remember? That one time I suggested even mentioning something to Sheppard you got all weird about it."

"Oh god; Ronon; _no_. That wasn't it," She looked down, focusing on her hands and belly before she dragged her eyes back up to his, "I said that—I said that because I thought that you would realize what you were settling for, and I—I didn't want to lose you."

"What I was settling—what are you talking about?" Puzzled, Ronon inquired.

"I'm not strong, I'm not tough, I'm clumsy as a three-legged moose, what I don't know about fighting could fill an entire library," Her eyes glittered with tears, but none fell, "You could do better than me Ronon. You should."

"What?" He roared. She was so completely _wrong_ it was laughable. And it made him all the more aware that _he _too had been wrong about her _intentions_, "Woman, you are crazy." He felt his chest twisting at the sight of her tears, unshed or not, "I thought that you wanted to keep us between us because you were ashamed of being with me."

"What?" It was Jennifer's turn to be shocked; to yell, "What are _you_ talking about?"

Ronon shrugged, and the words just seemed to come from him. He wasn't sure where from, or how, but they came rushing from him, "I don't know. I mean, I'm not smart, I hit first; forget to ask questions. I'm not from Earth—"

"Stop," Jennifer ordered sharply, "I don't give a flying fuck _where_ you're from. That has _never_ mattered to me, not in the way you're talking about."

"Jen, I," And just like that, his words dried up.

"And obviously, you're not as smart as I thought you were if you're buying into that load of crap," Shaking her head, Jennifer had to sit, making her way to a nearby window sill down, a wondrous look coming over her face as she pressed a hand to her belly, "Oh god."

"Jennifer, is something wrong?" And instantly, he was firing on all emotional cylinders; anxious, afraid, worried all in one gut-twisting moment, "Is it the baby? Should I—"

"Come here," She shushed him with a look, motioning that he should go to her, "Give me your hand."

Looking unsure, he followed her directions; and her slim, doctor's fingers slid around his wrist, her touch burning his skin, and pressed his hand to her belly. First, there was nothing, then a fluttering began under his palm, and he stared first at her stomach, and then upwards at her smiling face.

"That's the baby," She whispered, reverence in her voice as the tears began leaking from her eyes, "That's our baby moving."

"Our baby," He whispered back, his voice choked. _Our baby_. Ronon felt a rush, a wave breaking over him; it started in his chest, and spread out over his entire body. _Our baby_. They were his family; Jennifer and their baby. They were his; to love, to cherish, and to protect, until the end of his days. It was in that moment that Ronon made a silent, solemn vow to do just that. _They were his_.

Tangling a hand in her hair as he stroked along her cheekbone with his thumb, Ronon kept his other hand at her stomach as he levered himself carefully higher, to meet his lips to hers. Her arms came around his shoulders as they kissed hungrily. He could feel the baby flutter against his hand again, and as the kiss broke apart, he laid his forehead against Jennifer's, "I love you."

"Ronon," She murmured, tears still streaking down her face, her cheeks damp. Jennifer sighed, and tightened the grip she had around his shoulders, "I love you too."

-------

As the twosome entered the lounge, they found the bulk of SGA: 1 and SG: 2's CO waiting apprehensively for them.

"Hey guys," Jennifer greeted as she swiped a remaining tear from under her eye; her small palm tucked into Ronon's much larger mitt.

"Aw shucks Chewie," John shook his head, "Don't you know you're not supposed to make the girl _cry_?"

At the sight of her tears, Evan's expression darkened considerably, but before a snarky word could be uttered; Jennifer looked to him with a watery smile, "They're happy tears. I'm happy. Promise."

Having many sisters, Evan was well versed in _happy tears_, and the protective, alpha-male, _I'm gonna beat him_ crisis moment was averted, "We're all happy you're back too Jen."

At that, she slipped her hand free of Ronon's and made a beeline for her friend. Throwing her arms around his shoulders, Jennifer pulled Evan in for a hug that he easily accepted. But the close contact of the hug brought Evan in contact with something else entirely, and the Major jolted backward from the Doctor, his hands remaining on her arms as the rest in the room watched him with equal parts curious and confused expressions. Minus Ronon, who managed to simply look intrigued.

"Whoa," Wondrously, Evan looked to Jennifer, who grinned largely at him, "Is—is—that? Are you?"

She nodded quickly in the affirmative, and his mouth dropped open in shock before he dragged her into another hug, "Jesus woman!" Evan exclaimed as the others watched with puzzled looks on their faces. He questioned with his eyes, and at her okay; reverently reached a hand out to touch her belly. The two friends grinned at each other for another moment before Evan was exclaiming again, "Damn Big Man, you work _fast_!"

"Evan!" Scandalized, Jennifer lightly cuffed the Major in the bicep.

"Really Jen, I'm happy for you kiddo," Evan smilingly assured, a hand on each of her upper arms, "But I'm gonna kill him."

Jennifer chuckled, 'You're the best big brother I never had."

Seeing that he and Teyla were the odd two out in the room, John turned to her with a contemplative look, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Teyla turned to him, a broad smile breaking out over the serene visage of her face, "If you are thinking that there will soon be another addition to our people, then yes. I am indeed thinking what you are thinking."

John laughed at that, and looping an arm around Teyla's shoulders, drew her along with him to offer congratulations to the parents-to-be.

While Teyla hugged Jennifer; the two women bending their heads together; John clapped Ronon on the shoulder, "Congratulations man. You're gonna be a daddy."

"I know," Ronon returned without the ability or the want to conceal the smile from being broadcast over his face and through his voice, "Never thought that this was ever gonna happen."

"Well it did," John grinned broadly, watching as Ronon's gaze stayed on his baby-momma, "Before you know it, there'll be a little Ronon or little Doc running around, shooting things and patching people back up," At his next conclusion, the Lieutenant Colonel released a bark of laugh, "With the two of you for parents that kid will get kidnapped, alone, in the woods, all the time. And, instead of waiting for rescue, they'll shoot they're way out. I don't know if this place is ready for another you Chewie. And I really don't know about another Doc."

Ronon laughed at that; the former Runner's face jovial, "I can't wait."

"What's everybody so giddy about?" Rodney's voice was muffled from the large mouthful of Salisbury steak he'd just shoveled into his mouth. He arrived in the lounge with a tray between his hands; laden with the daily special, two dessert cups of Jello, and the scientist's ever present cup of coffee.

"You couldn't hold out for another _hour _even?" John asked the approaching scientist with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"I'm hungry," Rodney asserted after swallowing, "Why wait? Food was there, I was passing through."

While at first thought, the idea of food sounded like a pleasant one, as the scent of the Salisbury steak Rodney munched on wafted to her; her stomach revolted and flipped over.

"_Crap_," She moaned, clapping a hand over her mouth as she bolted from the room. Ronon shot Rodney a _look what you did now _glare before following her out of the room.

"That's two," Evan muttered, emphatically meeting his fist to his palm.

"Two what?" Rodney wondered aloud, disposing of the Salisbury steak the only way he could think of at the moment; by eating it. The whole episode, starting from when he'd entered the lounge, was beyond him.

"Never mind," John admonished, shooting a glare at Evan; who simmered off in his corner.

Teyla shook her head, "It would be better for you to hear of their news from Jennifer and Ronon."

"Yeah, I did notice that our resident caveman is doing his _I guard you_ thing again," McKay remarked sarcastically, though the snark wasn't up to its usual par, "So they've got news do they? What more could they possibly have to tell? Someone knocked up?"

The last sentence had been meant as a passing snark, but when John choked and then inhaled the bite of Jello he'd taken from the extra cup he had stolen from Rodney's tray, when Teyla refused to meet his eyes, and _Evan Lorne_, of all people, appeared sympathetic, Rodney realized he'd hit the nail on the head without even trying.

"Well shit," The astrophysicist concluded blandly, finding it strange that it wasn't the earth-shattering, blinding, tight-fisted, black sort of pain that he had been expecting, but more pangs and spasms of disillusionment and twinges of pride at the announcement. The past few days had given him a lot to think about.

Unnoticed by all, a red hued head was peeked into the room, and soon the entire body followed. Upon entering, the explosives expert found that the room and all those who occupied it carried an uncharacteristic silence that she was uncomfortable to break. Instead, she quietly slipped over to Evan's side, lightly tipping her elbow into his side to catch his attention, "What's going on?"

Evan had no chance to answer, as Ronon returned to the room, with Jennifer in his arms, the doctor protesting all the way, "I _can _walk y'know."

His response was a grunt as he gently sets her down on a couch, and then sat beside her. Letting Ronon fuss around her; Jen groans, "Why is it that whenever I do something embarrassing, there's always a crowd?"

"Because you're embarrassing," Evan reminded teasingly, "Is usually of the pandemic kind."

"Oh shut it," She returned snidely. Glaring at him the way she would have liked was put on hold as Ronon tugged her into a sitting position and sat down himself; pulling her back to rest against his broad chest.

Seeing the others had taken seats around the room as well, Laura perched on the arm of Evan's chair, watching in a kind of awe as the big, scary Satedan cuddled her best bud up against him. And as Jennifer leaned back against her giant pillow, Laura couldn't help but see a rather rounded bump that she hadn't seen before,

"Jen?" She called out cautiously, both of her eyebrows disappearing beneath her hair, "Are you? And he?"

Laura didn't have to finish her thought because Jennifer was nodding along. Letting out a whoop; Laura was instantly off her perch and heading across the room. Throwing her arms around Jennifer, she lifted the petite blonde clear of Ronon's lap and gave her a hearty squeeze.

"Omigod. Omigod. Omigod!" The decorated Marine officer and explosives expert squeal, rocking Jennifer back and forth as she hugged her friend tightly, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Jennifer's voice came out a little muffled from the hug, but in high spirits, nonetheless.

Upon setting Jennifer back onto the sofa beside Ronon and releasing her hold on the blonde, Laura threw her arms around Ronon; hugging him tightly too. Ronon was startled, and the complete astonishment showed on his face as his arms came slowly up to pat her on the back.

Beside him, Jennifer smothered a snigger at the look on his face.


	20. Old Patterns and New Beginnings

**Chapter Twenty**: _Old Patterns and New Beginnings_

**Okay, here it is. Chapter twenty. We're nearing the end of this little ditty; there's only two more chapters left on my outline after this one. I can't believe it's so close to being finished. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to everyone whose read and reviewed! : ) **

--------

"Wow," With a tired sigh, the righted-figured and newly informed, if off-duty, CMO flopped gracelessly onto her bed, "I thought we were never going to get out of there."

"Cadman seemed set on keeping an eye on you," Ronon remarked in a low tone, watching her form intently; his eyes darkening as they drifted over the gentle curve of her neck and lower, until his gaze came to rest upon the roundness of her stomach. It was amazing; that that modest bump was the only outward proof that their child resided within her. His child.

She could feel his eyes on her as his gaze slid over her, and Jennifer staved off a small shiver. Drawing herself up from the bed, she crossed the room and tugged at the lapels of her sweater as she twisted her small frame, and tested the angles in the mirror.

Ronon watched, fascinated, as Jennifer quickly shed her sweater and, grabbing the hem of her scrub top with criss-crossed limbs, whipped the garment over her head to reveal the pastel pink camisole underneath. His eyes were instantly drawn to her form; scanning her form, resting on her burgeoning belly before traveling up to her face.

"What?" Jennifer asked after moments passed between them in silence, with him staring at her stomach. It should be strange; how easily it was to fall back into previous, intimate patterns, how easy it was to disrobe with him standing not a yard from her, but she hadn't given it a second thought. There was something to be said for how quickly, how effortless they fluidly returned to patterns of old, and Jennifer was thankful that the fears she had earlier expressed to Kiryk were not at work in _this_ arena.

Smiling wide enough to be a little unnerving, Ronon informed her frankly, "I love you."

Chuckling a little, Jennifer smiled, "I love you too," Turning away, she looked into the mirror again and smoothed her hands from her hips to cradle her belly, "Ronon, do you think I look fat?"

"Jennifer," Ronon chided, covering his mild amusement as he wrapped her up in his arms and pressed a soft kiss to the point where her neck met her shoulder, "I think," He murmured, whispering his scruffy chin against the smooth skin on her neck as he planted kisses up its graceful curve, "You're beautiful."

"Aww," Jennifer couldn't help from smiling again. Ronon's hands smoothed over the swell of her stomach before his arms draped around her. Reaching up and back, she curled her fingers through his dreads, gently pulling his head down a little lower while turning her head to meet his lips over her shoulder.

He manipulated her mouth ravenously; turning her in his arms to face him. Curling his hands around her hips; the bulge their child created within her was sandwiched between them. Jennifer threaded her arms around Ronon's neck, running her fingers through the coarse hair on the back of his neck. His arms then bunched around her; lifting her petite frame until her legs could circle his waist.

"_Ronon_," Jennifer whimpered into his ear as his hands stroked over her body; every touch familiar and yet wonderfully new at the same time. He made the few steps it took to have them at her bed, leaning to place her on the mattress. Jennifer's arms around him pulled him down with her, and Ronon caught himself to balance on his forearms above her.

Her blonde hair fell in soft waves on the pillow, framing her face and as she smiled up at him that Ronon felt a rush of emotion that had him wrapping his arms tightly around her body and burying his face in her neck. He rolled onto his back, taking her along with him to be cradled by his body. He breathed deeply, inhaling her scent, hugging her tightly to him. She'd been gone; stolen from right underneath his nose.

That would never happen again. He wouldn't lose her again.

"Ronon," Her voice brought the focus back to his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as she caressed the hair away from his brow, "I'm here," Jennifer used the tousled sheets for leverage to pull herself high enough to hover over him. She brought her lips to his, pressing a light kiss to them before pulling back with a smile on her face, "I'm home."

"You're home," Ronon replied in a whisper, tunneling his fingers into her hair. Smiling again; something he'd done more since the day she had returned than he had in months; he tugged her back to kiss her again.

Rolling once more, Ronon drew Jennifer with him so that she was lay beneath him as he balanced his weight on one arm bent into the pillow beside her head. Reluctantly lifting his mouth from hers, he feathered his fingertips over her front; not missing her sharp intake of breathe as his fingers dipped to the valley between her breasts, to gently rub her belly, "You're both home."

She smiled again, and Ronon began to work his way down her body to her rounding stomach. His whiskered chin wisped against her sensitive skin as he pressed his lips to one side of her burgeoning belly, and then the other.

Drawing her bottom lip into her mouth to worry it between her teeth, Jennifer blinked back the tears that had started to gather in the corners of her eyes. Lifting his head, Ronon saw her trying to brush away without his noticing, and caught her small hand in his much larger one. Startled, he boosted himself so that his face lingered over hers, "Jennifer, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Looping her arms around his neck again, she tugged him down to her to lean her forehead against his. Smiling broadly, she shook her head; her nose nuzzling against his as her face moved, "Absolutely nothing."

--------

It was late; when Evan found Laura. The redhead was seated on a couch in the lounge, her legs drawn up underneath of her, and her torso bundled under a sweat shirt that was two sizes too big. On her face; an expression of startling vulnerability, the kind of which Evan had never seen on his usually sarcastic friend. While not wanting to interrupt her private moment, his feet had made decisions of their own as he started to move, drawn to her side, "Hey Cadman. What's up?"

The emotional walls flew back into place as she realized his presence, but not fast enough that Evan missed the suspicious dampness lingering around her usually mischievous eyes.

"Hey," His protective nature instantly bubbling to the surface, Evan sat beside her, reaching a hand out to curl around her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Squeezing lightly, his thumb brushed over the smooth cotton of her sweater. Believing her worry to be caused by the previous misfortunes of their recently rescued friend, Evan assured, "It's okay, Jen's back. Everything's gonna be okay."

"That's not why I'm upset you butt!" Laura exclaimed, glaring up at him with flashing eyes. She absolutely loathed being stereotypical weepy female, but sometimes a girl needed a good cry to release the pent up upset, anger, and resentment, "This is all _your _fault!"

Evan felt like she'd shoved him as she snapped at him, even rocking back in his seat, though his hand didn't leave her shoulder, "My fault? How'd you figure?"

"Because you keep playing with my head!" Laura cried, her voice tinged with anger as she threw her hands up, fingers eagle-spread, on either side of her head, finally dislodging his hand from her arm.

"What?" Evan was growing more confused, and Laura's face flared red as she continued.

"You flirt with me," She laid out bluntly, slicing the air in front of her with her hand as he made to interrupt, "Shut it. You flirt with me and you act cute, so I start to think that you like me. And _then_," Laura gulped, but she'd started her tirade, and there was no turning back now. And frankly, she didn't really want to, "You make like you're going to kiss me, so I start to _believe _that you like me. But then, you freak out and run away and I'm sitting here trying to figure out what _I _did wrong. But I'm—I'm," She hauled in a deep breath, as her need to speak and the emotion driving every word left little time for breathing, "I'm not the one with the problem. _You _are. Not me."

Evan had sat quietly, his hands fisted at his sides, as she called him out. But now, she watched him with calm, observing eyes, waiting for his response.

"I'm not trying to mess with you here Cad-Laura," She gave a disbelieving snort, and his ire was raised to surpass the remaining patience he held onto, "This isn't easy for me either y'know! It's not like I can just—for Godsakes _Lieutenant_!"

He stopped there, and the special inflection of her rank clued her in," Jes_us_ Evan. We're not Carter and O'Neill here! Yes, we serve on the same base. Yes, you're a Major and I'm a Lieutenant. _So_?" She demanded, her hands falling open in front of her, "We're not on the same team. You're not my direct CO. Why are you being so crazy about this?" Her last question fell breathlessly from her lips, the steam that had her going before depleted.

A strange look took hold on Evan's face; his coloring returning to normal from the flush it had earlier taken on. His fists unfurled to lie limply on his thighs.

"Ev, you okay?" Laura asked, as long moments ticked by with him just staring at her. Worry grabbed her; had she said too much? Would the truth send him running again?

But, in his head, Evan was memorizing her face. He wanted to remember her just like this. Her face pale and free of adornments. Her lips pink from her continuously pursing them. Her hair a fiery red, and only held loosely in a band tying it back at the base of her skull, not restricted in a harsh bun like it was when she was in uniform. He liked her hair when it was down. Without thinking of her reaction, Evan leaned forward, closing the gap on the couch between them to invade her space. Reaching to the back of her head, he gently rolled the band from her hair, freeing it from its loose confines and then sitting back just a little to admire his handiwork.

She was watching, fascinated, as he leaned back just a little. Slowly, her eyes locked with his as if transfixed, she reached up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear at the same time the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips.

And then he was leaning in again; grasping her hand and pulling it gently from her face before he brought his lips to hers with a pent-up longing that sent them both tumbling back against the arm of the sofa. As her arms threaded around his neck, his fingers burrowed through her hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands sifting through his fingers. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue before delving between them, and she responded with a moan, parting her lips and making fists in the back of his shirt.

Time didn't seem to pass, until their lungs demanded oxygen, and Evan sat back just enough to lift his weight from hers. Drawing his fingers back from cupping the back of her head to stroke over the soft skin of her cheek; his eyes came up to meet hers. A soft, sheepish smile tugged at his lips as he admitted breathlessly, "I'm an idiot."

"You're a guy," Laura snickered just a little, dragging her fingers through the cowlick at his temple, "It's bound to happen."

He released a breathy chuckle, shaking his head at her acceptance of his explanation as he brushed his thumb over the apple of her cheek and leaned in again to press another kiss to her lips.

A while later, reluctantly removing his lips from hers, Evan laid back against the arm of the couch, pulling Laura along to settle beside him.

"You know we're gonna have to tell Sheppard about this," Evan murmured, brushing her hair back from her face as she leaned in against him.

Toying with the flap to the breast pocket on his shirt, Laura giggled, teasing, "Soo, it's a _this _now?"

"You know what I mean," He grumped in return, before groaning, "You're not going to let that go for a while, are you?"

"Maybe," She grinned, not at all answering his question, drawing her fingers lightly down his chest, and enjoying the hitch in his breath as she dipped a few fingertips between the gap of his hiked-up shirt and the band of his jeans, tracing patterns on the skin of his hip.

And he grinned along, not nearly as bothered by her teasing as his joking protesting would say.

-------

"I see the west wing is nearing completion," Woolsey quipped upon entering Sheppard's chaotic and poorly organized office mid-way through the morning, and it took John a minute to realize that Woolsey was referencing his earlier fort-building remark,

"It's close," Perhaps to emphasize his point, John slapped a sheath of paper atop a stack along the front of his desk, "What's up?"

"Miss Casol," Woolsey replied bluntly, "We can't keep her incarcerated here forever."

"We can't?"

"Unnecessary drain on our resources," Woolsey parroted as if reading it directly from a report, giving John the feeling that he had.

"Doc's all ready been issued a new IDC," John mentioned briefly, "And her old one's been decommissioned. But Neeva's been wandering around the city undetected and unsupervised for two months with full access to the bulk of our systems."

"Doctor Keller's passwords and access codes have all been changed, and the old ones deactivated," Woolsey added, "So Neeva has no more access to our systems, and unless she's been drawing blueprints in her spare time, she can't take much more than basic logistics of the city. If you'll recall, both Lucius and Todd have that."

The Lieutenant Colonel had to concede that point, "It doesn't seem right. Just releasing her after what she did to Doc."

Woolsey sighed, "What would you suggest then Colonel?"

John knew what Ronon would suggest. His friend's fierce loyalty and protective nature would demand justice of the highest order for the mother of his child. And _that_ still felt weird to say, or even think. Ronon and Doc; having a baby. Together. Crazy.

And Lorne and Cadman would be right with Ronon. The two of them had adopted Doc early on; and now the three of them had some kind of odd, co-dependent relationship-thing going. (Beside the friendly relationship that existed between Lorne and Doc, and between Doc and Cadman; there was something else entirely lingering around between Lorne and Cadman. And truthfully, John hadn't had the time or the inclination to figure out just what it was exactly.) Add that to whatever plan of attack Teyla was concocting as payback for the thief's actions. Not to mention what kind of redemption Rodney had brewing in that _mind _of his.

"So we're just gonna let her go?" John was taken aback by Woolsey's response, and for a moment contemplated punctuating his anger by sending the east turret of his paperwork skittering to the floor. But he restrained it, and had to be satisfied with a balled fist that he thumped loudly on the desktop, "After she orchestrated a violating attack on one of our senior staff _and _spent the past few months as a _spy_ in our midst?" The previously curled fist was unfurled so the Lieutenant Colonel could thrust a hand through his already tousled hair, "We're just gonna open up the 'gate and wave?"

-----

"Morning Carson," Jennifer, the blonde haired, hazel eyed MD, greeted warmly as she entered the infirmary.

"Mornin' lass," Carson returned, smiling as he pushed his chair away from the desk he'd been working away at, "How do ya feel today?"

"Pretty damn good," She replied promptly with a grin of her own, "It is _so_ good to be back in my own skin."

"I'll bet," Carson chuckled, "You're glowing darlin'."

She ducked her head a little, twining her fingers in her blonde hair as she made to push it behind her ear. Then she was looking up, a definite sparkle in her hazel eyes, "I got your message. What'd you want to talk to me about?"

"I want you to look at these," He directed her to the screen. Flipping the switch on the side of the wall-mounted box, it instantly flickered to life; illuminating the previously opaque scans clipped onto it.

"These are Kiryk's scans," She observed thoughtfully as she inspected each of them carefully.

"They are," Carson pointed to a certain point in the scan, "You see here?"

"Yes," Then her eyes went wide, and she leaned back, "Wait—Carson, what are you thinking?"

-----

"Hey Sir," John looked up from scrolling through the addresses listed on his screen to find Loren in his office's doorway, with Cadman at his elbow, "You got a minute?"

"Yeah, sure," Pushing back from his desk, John shrugged down in his chair, "With Teyla visiting her people in their village off-world and Rodney holed up somewhere with Zelenka, and Ronon and little Doc," The Lieutenant Colonel wasn't even going to wager a guess at what the two of _them _were doing, "I've got all kinds of minutes. What's up?"

"Laura and I," Evan began, stepping further into the room. John didn't miss the soft gaze paused between the Lieutenant and the Major, nor the way Evan drew Laura into the room beside him, "I—er—we have something that we need to tell you."

"Do we need to have the talk?" The Lieutenant Colonel deadpanned, knowing exactly why the twosome had entered his office that afternoon. Sitting back in the chair, he pinned one office with his gaze, and then the other, "At this point, I have no reservations about what you're telling me. But the minute I start to see this affect this expedition, I'm gonna have to make problems. Don't make me do that."

"Yes Sir," The two of them rattled off; Evan nodding vigorously while Laura's eyes were wide and earnest.

"Good," The heart-quickening grin that had made Colonel Sheppard famous amongst those in the city and those who populated the planets they visited spread over the man's face as he spun the computer monitor around for the other two to see what was displayed on it, "Now grab a chair, I need your help with something."

-----

"Wait now. Hold on," Jennifer called for a halt to Carson's explanations, hands gesturing wildly inches from her nose, "Let me see if I've got this straight. You want to cut Kiryk open, and risk a plethora of complications; not the least of which is _death_," There was special inflection for that word, "For what? Curiosity sake?"

"No lass, _no_," Carson disputed quickly, "While the implant might be effectually fried now, there's a possibility of reactivation if we leave it in his back."

"It's dead," She replied brusquely, rubbing a hand over the bump of her belly, "Fried, shocked, sizzled, cooked, ineffectual. _Dead_."

"Yes," Carson conceded, seeing that this would be a difficult push, "But it's organic. Wraith technology has shown aggressive tenacity in terms of growth. You should recall such a display when you were infected."

"Not one of my finer moments," Jennifer drew back a little, trying not to recall nearly turning into a hive ship.

"You can't blame yourself for that," Carson reached forward, pushing a chair in Jennifer's direction. She accepted with a sigh and sat, "What if your friend's device were to show the same regenerative affects? If that implant was to reactivate here and lead the Wraith right on top of us? Or if it reactivated when he was back out on his own and had no way of knowing he had a transmittin' bullseye in his back?"

"He carries a scanner," She said lamely, feeling some of the steam go out of her, "Got it off a couple of the Wraith that came after him. He compulsively checks, all the time, at least once a day."

Carson was silent on this, leaning back with his hands leaning on the lab counter top.

"This _has _to be his choice," Jennifer finally said, her voice not wavering in the slightest as she continued vehemently, "I will _not _sugarcoat any of it. If Kiryk does this, he has to know all of the risks."

"Of course lass," Carson nodded.

-------

He turned at the knock, "Come."

The door opened and Jennifer was standing there; one of his ever constant guards hovering off to one side. She gave a limp little wave, "Hi."

"Hey," He returned cautiously, measuring her posture and expression, "What's going on?"

"I—uh—you want to sit?" She waved a hand toward his bed, and Kiryk gave her a puzzled look,

"All right," He sat, and slowly so did she. Eyeing her carefully, he asked again, "What's going on?"

His petite blonde friend avoided the question—and his eyes—in a way Kiryk didn't like, and as she unconsciously drew her bottom lip in between her teeth, he concluded, "Something's wrong," Observing the downturned expression on her face, he then inspected her further for other clues, "Are you and the little one?"

His worried question was cut off as Jennifer waved frenetically, "No—no. Everybody is okay. This," She paused, swallowed as she worked up the gumption to continue. And the fact that she was having trouble saying something to him wasn't doing the best for his nerves, "This is about you."

Kiryk's first thought when she'd finally managed to spit that last sentence out was that they wanted him out of Atlantis and either she was apprehensive about telling him, or she was upset by her people . But he was completely unprepared for what spouted next from her mouth, the almost-whispered utterance nearly sending him backwards in shock.

----

"Hey," John called, coming upon Rodney and Zelenka laden with bags and cases of equipment. The two scientists were traveling at a pretty fast clip down the hallway, but still managing to keep their heads bent together as they poured over the tablet Zelenka held between them, "Where are you two headed in such an uncharacteristic hurry?"

"Back to the planet," Rodney blustered, his eyes not leaving the tablet as they continued to trot down the hallway. John had to fall into step beside them to keep up.

"Why?" John asked curiously and then had to skid off to the side of the corridor to prevent himself from crashing into Zelenka as the two scientists stopped short. They finally dragged their gazes away from the tablet to stare up at him with wide, gaping eyes,

"Seriously?" Rodney regarded his friend wondrously, "You actually have to ask?"

"We have to run several scans on the consciousness exchanger," Zelenka explained after he let out a string of Czech curse words when Rodney accidentally trod on his foot, "The different components of the device could be reverse engineered, or they could have so many possible applications that would be far more useful than what Neeva originally used it for. The power generation that must be required to control and harness the device's possible functions," He let out another word in Czech, but this one was of admiration, "I cannot wait to begin. Rodney?"

"We're going," Rodney adjusted one of the bags slung over his shoulder, but stopped with narrowed eyes as he saw the amused glint in John's eye, "What?"

"Consciousness exchanger?" The Lieutenant Colonel snickered, and the Doctors rolled their eyes, as if on cue,

"What?" Rodney asked again, "Oh come on. The damn thing basically played a little hokey-pokey with Jennifer's brain. You know, right foot in, right foot out, shake it all about, and the rest of that nonsense?"

"Why do you know how to do the hokey-pokey?" John asked with a furrowing brow, ignoring Rodney's impatient glare.

"I _have _a niece who's in kindergarten, thank you very much," The PhD. snarked before picking up his furious pace down the corridor to the Gate Room. Zelenka had to hurry to catch up, while maintaining his gaze on the tablet's screen once again.

"Major Johnson's team going with you?" Switching subjects once again, John stopped at the entrance of the Gate Room to allow the two scientists to enter first.

"And a science team," Zelenka answered, "We'll need as many hands as possible to start collecting data on the device and to begin to put it into practical use."

Beside John, he could hear Rodney grumble, "More people to get in the way."

"Rodney," John chastised with a chuckle, and the scientist looked up,

"What? You know Brightman's gonna stick his fingers somewhere they don't belong. Not to mention the possible damage Ronon might have done to the machine when he went all space cowboy on it."

"He had other things on his mind," The Lieutenant Colonel reminded gently, and Rodney gave an exasperated sigh,

"Yeah, sure. It worked," Rodney's tone then took on the familiar whine, "But did he have to leave me such a mess to clean up?"

"Aw, c'mon Rodney, it'll be fun," Shaking his head, John quipped, "Well, for you."

"Har har," Was Rodney's reply before the two exchanged a curt nod and the scientist charged onto the gate platform, "All right people, let's get to work. When we get there, do what you're told, and don't touch anything until Zelenka or I have cleared it. We lost our CMO for two months because someone thought playing switcheero was funny. So no-touchy unless I say so, got it?" He stared directly at one young man with the group. Not understanding Rodney's special inflection at him, the young doctor pushed his glasses up further to the bridge of his nose and shrugged, asking,

"What?" And growing even more confused as the amused laughter around him grew louder.

John waited until they had all trooped through the gate, the event horizon wormhole closing down behind them before he jogged up the stairs to find Woolsey seated behind his desk, poring over reports. Leaning a shoulder against the doorframe, John crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the bureaucrat to acknowledge his presence.

"Yes Colonel?" When Woolsey spoke, the wicked gleam spread out over John's face as he posed,

"They said we had to let her go. But did they say where?"

-----

"So you're saying that you can get this _thing_," He hiked a thumb over his shoulder, "Out of me?"

She nodded slowly, "It's possible to remove the tracking device. But there are risks. Huge risks."

"Which worries you," Kiryk observed directly, seeing plainly the concern displayed on his friend's features.

Swallowing, Jennifer nodded again, "Yeah, they do."

"Why?" The question was blunt and unfettered.

"Why?" She repeated in a mumble, gathering her thoughts, "Because there are so many possible casualties. I could strike a nerve; cause paralysis, brain damage, memory loss, even—even death. That wouldn't worry you?"

"When I die, I want it to be free of the Wraith, even if it's only for a few moments," Kiryk proclaimed softly, his earnest voice bringing tears pricking at her eyes, "I just want to be free."

-------

The operating room was silent, only the continuous beeping from the machines signaling that the patient lying face down on the table was stable dared break through the prevailing quiet. The room was populated by properly capped, gowned, and masked medical professionals who all stood around the table; awaiting the command, all ready and able to jump to attention.

Standing at Kiryk's left side, Jennifer heaved in a deep breath through her nose; holding it for a few beats before releasing it. Her hazel eyes lifted from staring down at the broad expanse of Kiryk's back to meet Carson's steady blue gaze. The two doctors watched each other for a few moments, each gathering strength from the other. Finally Jennifer girded her mental loins; released another heavy breath, extended her palm and ordered crisply,

"Scalpel."

----


	21. Exits

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Author's Note:** Chapter twenty one! I am far too excited to have this one ready to go. It took far longer than it probably should have, but I think it's here.

Only one more to go….

**-----**

"At last we part ways," Neeva tossed a lank of her own brunette tresses over her shoulder and offered a pleased smirk, "Can't say as I'm sorry to go."

A furious guttural growl resonated from a corner of the room. Another, just as angry, followed soon after it.

"As you can see, the fellas," John hiked a thumb over his shoulder at the trio gathered a yard or so to the right of the door to the gate room, "Aren't so pleased to see you go."

Kiryk and Ronon had been in staunch agreement. Jennifer could attend Neeva's infuriating exit only if she remained (far) away from the Stargate itself and under guard. _Their _guard; their _breathe in the direction of their protectorate and be relieved of a limb or two_ guard. Never mind that following his surgery; Kiryk had been ordered to strict bed rest. He refused to lie back and rest while the one who had literally snatched her body skipped merrily off into the sunset. And then there was Ronon.

Ronon had been furious; a special kind of angry they had very rarely seen on him when John explained to them that the IOA wasn't going to let them keep Neeva incarcerated much longer. He'd had been prepared to negate the IOA's entire reasoning behind the resource drain; blaster in hand.

It was only Jennifer's gentle persuasion that had kept the thief alive to make it to the Gate Room that day. And if he being was honest, John was sure he really wanted to spend too much time pondering just what Little Doc had done to convince Ronon to hold off on wrecking the havoc the situation called for.

"Yes, well," Neeva leaned to one side and wriggled her fingers in a smug wave at the glowering duo and the petite woman sandwiched between them, "They have their little princess back. I'm sure they'll be happy enough with that."

"Ah," Was the only response John gave before calling up to Gate Ops, "Dial it up Chuck. Can't keep Ms. Casol waiting."

"Commencing dialing sequence," The Canadian replied promptly, and the clanking of the gate powering up echoed through the room.

"I take my leave of you and your associates," Neeva nodded to John; that same superiority returning to permeate the air around her. But when she looked past him, her brown eyes connecting with Jennifer's hazel ones, her expression changed. As the thief gazed upon the other woman tucked protectively between the two former Runners; knowing that without a moment's hesitation, either of them would do anything for the pretty doctor; a longing, rueful look flashed over the thief's face. And then, just as quickly as it appeared, the expression was shuttered and Neeva strode forward towards the shimmering portal the open gate created.

"Oh, hey Neeva—wait!" Laura called suddenly, breaking away from where she stood with Evan and the two remaining members of SGA: 1. The redhead rushed forward to push a voluminous bundle of red fabric into Neeva's arms, "You're gonna want this."

"Think of it as a going away gift," Evan added, his tone sincere and void of his usual sarcastic flair.

Though a bit wary, Neeva held onto the bundle as her lips curled upwards the slightest bits at the corners before she made her final steps through the gate.

"So," John turned on his boot heel as the wormhole began to close in on itself to glance about the room with a straight face. He moved and spoke as if nothing was amiss, likely to avoid adding to the barely restrained frustration and anger emanating from Ronon, "Lunch?"

Inclining her head, Teyla was the first to answer as she smiled serenely, "Yes." The Lieutenant Colonel returned a contented grin and the twosome exited the gate room passing companionable chatter between them. It took a bit of prodding, but Jennifer managed to herd her guards too, out of the room.

Rodney though, while he was tempted by the mention of food, only heard John and Teyla peripherally. He remained still with his eyes trained on the symbols etched on the gate as they faded from the illumination of dialing. He continued to stare until his mind landed on what he was searching for, "P4X-773. That planet is in permanent winter. Where the gate's power source is so depleted that without a supplementary power generator it can only dial out every three days," Looking to the grinning Lieutenant and her Major, Rodney commented with rare pride in others, "Not bad."

"Figured it was the least we could do," Evan unleashed a devious grin while Laura snickered,

"Hope she doesn't mind the cold."

"What'd you give her?" The scientist asked curiously, waving his hands in frenetic circles at the wrists.

"Regulation Antarctic parka and a survival kit," Evan proclaimed proudly, while Laura knitted her fingers together with a devious look on her face,

"The IOA should have been clearer when they said we had to let her go," With that the redhead casually shrugged a shoulder and headed off towards the room's exit. Clapping Rodney deftly on the bicep, Evan followed Laura from the room. Arriving in the doorway, the Major stopped and turned back to call to the astrophysicist,

"Are you comin'?"

Eventually Laura and Evan, with Rodney trailing behind, arrived at the mess hall table the others were crowded around. As they drew chairs around the table they were met with a flustered Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard explaining to a wide-eyed Jennifer Keller, "There's a cave not five miles from the gate. There are rations in the pack we gave her. It'll keep her going."

"Better than I would'a given her," Ronon grumbled before stretching his arm across the back of Jennifer's chair. Her hand on his thigh squeezed gently and released. Across from them, Kiryk tiredly grunted his assent.

"It might not be what she deserves, given that she started the whole switcheroo," John shrugged a single shoulder, "But something had to be done."

"It's not that. I just," The MD sniffled, her hazel eyes growing watery and Ronon looked down at her, alarmed as the tears began to seep from her eyes, "I love you guys."

Startling Ronon as she suddenly jumped from her chair, Jennifer shot to her feet and displaced his arm around her back. Rounding the table she bent at the waist to wrap her arms around John's shoulders. Before he had time to react or even speak, she'd hugged him tightly, still tearing against his shoulder, the hunched MD murmured reverently, "Thank you."

* * *

Weeks later, another exit was eminent, but this one was met with less scheming and more regret. It was a true friend's turn to take his leave of Atlantis.

"Come."

Kiryk didn't turn to the door, but instead kept fitting his few belongings into his pack. There were only a handful of people who would visit him.

"You getting' ready to go?" The voice quickly narrowed down the possibilities and Kiryk nodded,

"Yes. Been cleared by your Doctor Beckett."

"What about Jennifer?" The visitor asked gruffly, and Kiryk chuckled ruefully,

"Begrudgingly. She'd still rather I take it easy. But she's given me a clean bill of health," He shrugged, throwing a glance over his shoulder, "Not really sure what that _means_ but I'm ready. Come to say your good-byes?"

"Somethin' like that," The visitor sighed, crossing well-built arms and leaning a meaty shoulder against the doorframe, "Where're you headed?"

Shoving his spare shirt into his pack, Kiryk replied, "I thought I'd go check in on Celise first; make sure she's all right. Seeing as how I won't be leading any Wraith to her," He added in such a way that made the comment out to be an offhand mention. But his voice was tinged with regret and then the mask closed over his face again.

"It gets easier," He was assured solemnly, "Maybe not quickly, but it does get easier."

Neither had to clarify, for they both understood his meaning clearly. They both carried wounds, scars from the years that had been stolen from them. What they had seen. What they had done; what had been done to them. How they'd been forced to live. Their lives hadn't been their own, and it was a long road back from the shadows they'd been forced to lurk in for so long. The feelings of guilt, fear, sorrow and pain they carried would remain with them; possibly forever, but in time they might get easier to carry. A bond had been cemented between the two because of this understanding.

"And you," Flipping the pack closed, Kiryk finally turned to face the other former Runner, "What's next for you?"

* * *

She had absolutely had it with the way he was trying to sneak past her every time they ever came in contact. He would skulk by, hoping that by some miracle she hadn't seen him. But she had. And if she didn't spot him on her own; Ronon would, and his quickly tensing posture would alert her to his fleeting presence.

And so; his scurrying routine had lead to this rather loud display in the corridor to the Gate Room that afternoon.

"MEREDITH RODNEY MCKAY!" The pregnant CMO roared out in the middle of the corridor, populated by the usual mid-afternoon foot traffic, "YOU CAN'T AVOID ME FOREVER!"

Concerned murmurs and amused snickers fluttered through the Atlantis personnel who stopped in their tracks, stuck their heads out of doorways, or skittered past the seething CMO and the speechless scientist.

"Uh, avo-avoid you?" Rodney managed to sputter, acting as though he didn't have the slightest inclination of what she was talking about, or why she had just loudly announced it, "I-I-I'm not sure what you mean."

"I mean that ever since I got back and it was announced that I was," Jennifer removed her hands from where they'd been unconsciously laid on either side of her ever-expanding belly to make finger parenthesis in the air in front of her, "_With child_, you've disappeared. I thought we were friends Rodney."

She sounded wounded, and while under usual circumstances, the person posing such questions would be met with his acerbic tongue, he couldn't seem to muster it up today. And Rodney was left with an uncomfortable stuttering, "I-I-uh—I," Rodney wasn't sure what to say, but that turned out to be all right because Jennifer wasn't finished.

"You've been avoiding me."

"A-a-a-avoiding you? I had lunch with you just yesterday."

"You had lunch with the _team_ and I happened to be there. You sat on the other end of the table and scurried away as soon as possible."

"Scurried?"

"Yes, scurried. Listen, I know that what Neeva did really weirded you out, but hello! I was the one parading around in another person's body! Not you!" Jennifer pushed her knuckles across her upper lip before she looked to Rodney with blazing eyes, "I had thought that we were friends, but it seems like you only had one thing on your mind when it came to me and now that that part of this mess has come to an end, you're doing everything possible to tell me that you don't consider me a friend. Well don't worry Rodney, I got the message. I get it, I understand. Clearly I was dense before, but now I completely understand and I won't be bothering you anymore."

She turned then to walk away, and Rodney stood in shock. But before she could escape, his mind cleared to let enough words congregate to be conducive to speech and moving quicker than the scientist had in a very long time, Rodney jumped forward to catch her by the arm and bring her to a halt.

"Jennifer—wait."

"Rodney, just," Her words were cut off as McKay regained his ability to speak,

"No Jennifer. Now it's my turn," Rodney released her arm and held up both hands, "We _are _friends. I just—I just thought that maybe, we could be more than that. It's kind of a _shock_, okay? To find out that not only was that whole notion a little insane, but that you were all ready more than friends with Ronon," His brow furrowed, pinched lines appearing on his forehead, "And why didn't you two tell anyone anyway? It's not like you two were in contravention of any kind of fraternization regulations that I can think of right off, so what was _with _the big secret?"

-----------

It wasn't the first time he'd heard the question, but perhaps it was the most bluntly put. Most people skirted around the actual, obvious questions. Even John had light-footed around the inevitable. Except for Kiryk. Ronon could see the unspoken words behind the other man's eyes.

"You mean about Jennifer and our baby," He quickly concluded, and Kiryk offered a single nod in response, "They're my family. I don't take that lightly."

"I know you don't," Kiryk replied, his face and tone void, "I realize what that means to you. I asked you what you were going to do next."

"You got some kind of advice you want to offer?" Ronon tried to push down the bite in his tone, but the impulse was difficult to quell.

"Jennifer thinks that she still has to prove herself, and she tries to do everything by herself. She forgets herself," Kiryk pointed out, and Ronon had to agree, "Don't let her. She's gonna try to do everything on her own, and she is going to be what ends up neglected."

"She forgets," Ronon murmured more to himself than to the other man, "She works too much and she forgets to eat. Or sleep," He snorted, a snicker of laughter escaping, "I've found her asleep in her office chair, still clutching the tablets."

"Exactly," Kiryk too, released a chuckle in remembrance at that; picturing similar times from the planet when she'd searched desperately for a cure for the infected villagers, and then his face became serious again, "Don't let her do that. Take care of her. Prove to her she is what matters. Nobody has before."

"I will," Ronon promised solemnly, extending a hand to the other former Runner. Kiryk grasped Ronon's hand tightly, exerting a severe amount of force in his grip as he shook Ronon's hand. Leaning just a little closer, Kiryk informed Ronon bluntly,

"If you hurt her, in any way, there will be nowhere you can hide from me."

------------

"So, are you gonna tell me what happened with you and Ronon, or am I going to have to make something up on my own?" Rodney asked as he fell into step beside her, heading for the Gate Room, "Because we all know what happens when my over-active imagination takes over."

"I'd rather keep the lock on Pandora's box sealed, thank you," Jennifer returned in jest before pausing in the corridor to press the heel of her hand to her sternum, "Ugh."

"Jennifer?" Rodney halted quick enough to cause his feet to slide underneath him, just a little, "Are you okay?" One hand holding her shoulder, the other was reaching up to tap at his earpiece when she stopped him,

"Rodney, I'm fine," Jennifer forced down a swallow, a grimace contracting her face, "I've just got wicked heartburn."

"Oh," The panic started to drain from his face, and Rodney rooted around at waist level until a moment later he extended a foil wrapped cylinder to her, "Antacid?"

"Thanks," She peeled off a couple tablets and popped them into her mouth, chewing gratefully. Swallowing heartily, she then looked back to her friend with one eye squinted, "Is that a fanny pack?"

"What? This?" Lifting his shirt a little, Rodney showed her the black polyester bag he had cinched around his waist, "I find it's much easier to carry all my supplies in this. You never know when something might come in handy, like, uh," He waved a hand between the two of them, "Like just now, for instance. I also find that it does something good for the lower lumbar region, y'know, a little extra su_pport_."

Dropping the hem of his t-shirt, the scientist let the material fall back into place, and then let his head droop to one side to ask exasperatedly of the giggling doctor, "_What_?"

"Nothing, nothing," Covering her giggles with a hand over her mouth, it took Jennifer a few minutes before she'd stopped laughing, "It's nothing."

Rodney scowled, then, "Come on now. Either tell me what happened, or I make something up."

"_Fine_," Jennifer growled, palming another antacid into her mouth. Crunching on the tablet, she began, "After the quarantine, things started progressing—"

Her narrative was cut off by Rodney's snort of, "Obviously," As his gaze travelled to her burgeoning belly. Her eyes narrowed once again, a Ronon-trained scowl set, and Rodney wisely held up both hands, palms forward, as if to surrender, "Sorry. Carry on."

Jennifer released the face and sighed instead, "I don't know. I guess I always figured that Ronon saw being—doing, y'know," She paused, unsure of her wording, and he jumped in,

"You."

"_Rodney. _You want to hear the story, or do you want to make bad jokes?"She growled out warningly, and the scientist sighed grumpily,

"Fine. Go on."

"I never thought Ronon was looking for anything serious with me. I thought he'd want someone who could kick ass and grunt, and scratch themselves in public, but I was wrong. And he was thinking the same thing about me," A smile pulled at the corners of the doctor's lips, "Except backwards."

"Ah, the classic miscommunication," Rodney easily summarized as they closed in on the door to the Gate Room.

"Shut-up smartass," Jennifer groaned, rolling her eyes as Rodney boiled the past tumultuous weeks to a one-sentence cliché.

"The whole thing is just," Rodney paused, searching for the appropriate sentiment, but instead, Jennifer finished for him in a flat voice,

"Weird."

The scientist grimaced, "Seriously? Remind me to requisition you a thesaurus, because that is getting kind of old."

---------------

"I guess this is it huh?" Jennifer wobbled back and forth on her heels a bit, her arms swinging at her sides before coming to rest on her bulging belly, "You're on your way."

They stood a few meters from the gate; separate from the rest as they said their good-byes. The others were gathered off to the side in a pod of their own; averting their eyes and offering the two of them what privacy they could while standing in the same room.

"And completely free of the Wraith," Kiryk returned, smiling down at her, "Thanks to you."

"I assisted," She disputed, rubbing her fingertips surreptitiously under her eye.

"You gave me my life back," Kiryk insisted, his tone informing her he would hear no arguments.

"And now you've got your own one of these handy-dandy little devices," Jennifer extended a small, slim, remote-like device, with rounded edges and nylon straps to attach the device to one's forearm, to him, "All you have to do is punch in your code, like they showed you, and we'll be here to open the door."

"Thank you," He accepted the GDO from her and tucked it into a pocket of his pack, "But don't be worrying about me now little one," The formidable ex-Runner gave a soft smile, and placed a large hand on her swollen belly, "You have this one to worry about now."

"Yeah," She agreed; smiling and tearing, "I have to thank you."

"For what?" His eyes widened, puzzled.

"If I hadn't of run into you, I never would have this amazing miracle. I would still be stuck back in those caves, with Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb," The tears were spilling unchecked from her eyes as she spoke, and the blonde MD had to laugh lightly at herself, "I'm okay. Wave hi to the hormones again."

Kiryk was smiling at her again, reaching down to brush away a few tears with his thumb, "You are going to be an amazing mother little one. You've got the strength and the patience, and most important, the love that's needed to raise a child."

That brought even more tears to her eyes, and she stretched out her arms to draw the imposing man into a hug. His arms went around her carefully, one arm bracing her waist, the other hand eagle-spread and gently patting her back.

"I want my baby to know you," She said sniffling, her face against his bicep, "So you have to come back. Promise."

"Of course I will," Tightening his hug around her, Kiryk assured, "I'll be back. I promise little one."

"Just be careful out there," She pulled away, holding him by the forearms at arm's length as she inspected his face, "Okay?"

"I will," Kiryk leaned his head down so that his forehead met hers.

"This is I'll see you later," Jennifer intoned seriously, and he agreed just as seriously,

"I'll see you later," He nodded as the two stepped apart, and Kiryk shouldered his pack. Giving her arm a final, gentle squeeze, Kiryk ascended the ramp towards the gate.

She still stood apart from the others, watching as he headed for the gate. But, at the shimmering, blue ripples of the event horizon; Kiryk stopped. His eyes met Jennifer's across the gate room, and then the former Runner looked away from her to Ronon. The two exchanged a curt nod, the meaning of the silent conversation budding in their seemingly closed expressions.

John's eyes darted from one former Runner to the other, deciding again, not to try deciphering the code that passed in silence between them. There were a lot of those things lately; things he was probably better off not getting.

And then, with a wink and a lopsided smile, Kiryk backed through the gate.

As the gate closed in on itself, and Ronon slipped from the group to stand beside Jennifer, Rodney turned to John and Teyla.

"Wha-what was that?" The scientist waggled a finger between Ronon and the now closed gate, "The whole _look into my eyes_ thing? Who do they think they are? Kaa?"

"_What_?" John exclaimed, utter confusion painting his face while Teyla watched with a wide-eyed fascination.

"Kaa, the snake? The one wh-who was always trying to hypnotize the other animals with his eyes," Rodney gestured with two jumpy fingers in front of his own eyes, "Y'know, from _The Jungle Book_?" He then heaved an impressive sigh as John snickered, "Its Jeannie's kid's favorite movie."

"I believe, Rodney, that the child has a name of her own," Teyla observed dryly as she herded the scientist and the Lieutenant Colonel from the Gate Room.

"_I know that_," Rodney muttered, "It's—uh," He paused, snapped his fingers just below his chin, "It's."

John snorted, rolling his eyes as he clapped his friend heavily on the shoulder, "And you were doing so well too."


End file.
